The Journal of Alex Armin, an explorer who doesn't understand anything
by AlexArmin36
Summary: This is a journal written by an eccentric explorer named Alex Armin. his inner thoughts, journey and his observation of the world around him resides as he explores a world where semen is the nectar of the gods by a species of monster who looks like some naked lady combined with some eldritch abomination in a horrendous animal husbandry. (based on Monster Girl Quest Paradox)
1. Chapter 1

14XX/5/1 Johannes Calendar

First Day out of many more to come…

How should I say this? Umm, let's just say shit got weird really fast.

Back in my universe or Japan as I love to call it, there was this strange rumour of holes appearing out of nowhere, spewing out strange monsters and such. The locals call them Youkai, as it means spirit or demon. To be fair, I've already saw Youkai type and I knew that the one the rumour said is wholly different. What kind of monsters that kills their prey by raping them to death?

But woe is me, my employers told me that I must investigates these 'caves' as she puts it. I never actually saw it myself, only heard it through the staff's gossipy mouth. How am I supposed to find one?

Well, my job became easier as one of my old-time friends actually saw the hole and witness the creature going in and out, bringing their prey in which somehow followed them willingly. Like the fuck? How does that make sense? Are these monsters hot like my Youkai employers? Last I heard, my buddy says that they look absolutely horrifying, like H.P Lovecraft decides to combine a naked woman with some eldritch abomination in some kind of horrid animal husbandry. BOI, the fuck is going on?

I don't like how this is going on, but my exploring itch flares up and here I go, packing up my trusty Karabiner98 Kurz, my M1911.45, and my trusty military bag with all the provisions and equipment needed for extended survival in any harsh environment. This ain't my first rodeo. And hi de ho, here I go on 28 November, just after Thanksgiving and another month before Christmas. Like it matters anyway, I'm not even Christian!

So Hito said he saw it somewhere at the ravine of Mount Fuji, somewhere just low enough to descend, yet hard enough to ascend without proper equipment. Screw it, I've climbed that mountain multiple times, I was used to its harsh environment. But hey, I love the natural beauty of the mountain, makes me feel alive even just for a moment.

It was kinda surprising when we reached the place. It was a tight little crevasse, gently sloping into a dark abyss. That alone would've deterred any foolhardy hikers from crossing it. Not us though, we shimmied our way along the rocky wall with ropes and some pitons. I noticed that there are some notable cracks along the path we choose. Not like the normal cracks we usually found near any cave walls, but linear series of cracks, as if someone tries to make a ladder by carving up holes on the wall. It makes it much easier for us to climb down.

And it does not stop there; we somehow landed on an INVISIBLE platform. Right, invisible like that path from Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail movie we watched in the past. Hito's face was priceless when the piton he uses to anchor his rope fell off. That would be the last time he tries any suspicious looking crack as a piton placement.

We followed the platform into a series of dilapidated metal corridor. The fuck? How the hell did this thing actually exist? Like, who would think it's a good idea to build a freaking facility in the most inaccessible area of the mountain? It's not like it was still in use, the mildew and fungus covers most of the wall, giving off a pungent smell as we strode through the labyrinth. We believe that the one who creates this place is some kind of a government spy-network or terrorist faction, just hiding under Mount Fuji until the time is right to strike. Hell, I even thought this place was created by some hardcore cultist who either died or disbanded before this place even finished. Lots of unfinished floors and walls gave way into eternal darkness of the abyss beyond.

We didn't believe everything were an invisible platform…

We found several chest along the way though, all of them coloured red and its metal foundation coloured in gold. They were not locked, allowing us to witness the treasure it contains. Beside the generic food item (bread, cheese, milk) we also found some clothing and guns. I still remember the guns; we found 2 Desert Eagles, 1 really beautiful flintlock musket and a HKMP5 submachine gun.

The guns disturb us the most. What kind of place this was if they have food and weapons stored in a room? Is this a bomb shelter? It does looks like one, albeit a bombed out one. It doesn't matter, what matters is that the food is still edible, the weapon looks clean and operational, even the musket.

It means that someone really IS hiding down here, and he's not far away.

And if so, where did he go?

Our answer came in the form of an eldritch abomination. It looks like a naked woman was affixed on top of a white crescent machine with green lines going toward the lower region. The rear area has a black ball that looks like a speaker or something. Spikes protrude from her back and some harpoon head levitates at her side, ready to skewer us. It was not the harpoon that bothers us, the woman is naked. Her top human part has no bra, showing off her tits in full nipple glory while she was grinning like a madman. The area at the lower part looks like a section of smooth skin, only for its middle to have a hole that looks-no, that is ACTUALLY a vagina.

What the fuck.

She tries to skewer us like fish with her harpoons, but we're faster than that. I blasted the bitch's head off with my sniper rifle while Hito was busy pounding shots at her vagina with his HKUSP. Fuck that sounds dirty, but that's where he aimed his pistol and it kinda worked, the thing disappeared after our combined firepower. But that's not our only problem…

The shots attract many other monsters in the complex, and as hell we won't stay long!

We booked for the entrance, but we were blocked at all side by its eldritch inhabitant. I personally don't want to know what the naked lady in a flesh flower wants to do to me. Hito shared my sentiment, running like a crazy madman beside me while shooting haphazardly. It was spray and pray for him, not me though, I prefer accuracy over wishful aim. If I shoot, it hits.

Then we found our salvation in a form of a steel door. I personally have no time to admire the design as the same fleshy naked girl blocks the path with her petal of meat. The inside of the thing is a girl, but the meaty part of it looks rotten and damp, as if some corpse has died in it and it was in a process of digesting the meat. For all I knew the woman itself might've been a victim too, being slowly digested from waist up. Maybe that's why her clothes were gone, it was digested first!

Hito and I just go ballistic. We can hear the other abomination closing on us fast behind us and our only way out is blocked by a single eldritch flower. So in desperation, we just dove straight into the thing's…thing. I remember punching and stabbing with my survival knife and Hito just wildly pistol-whipped that hoe to oblivion. Why we didn't bother shooting it in the first place? I just realized that we can just shoot that thing in the face and save us the gory detail, yet we didn't. Fuck.

Anyway, the thing died under our reckless (and stupid) crusade and we decide to claim our spoil of war, the door. Only one problem remains…

The thing chasing us was fast, and it fires some kind of energy beam thing at us. We were caught in that blast as we just opened the door. The concussive blast of the attack pushed us through the door, overshooting the dirt platform in favour of the dark abyss underneath. Our screams echo as we plummet into the unknown depth…

How am I still alive, when my comrade was dead?

No, he can't be dead. If I can survive this, he can too.

How did I end up here, in a warm inn in a peaceful village populated by humans and strange slime girl thing? How the hell did I end up here when I was falling to my death in some dark abyss forgotten even by god himself?

The answer is, I don't know.

Honest! I really don't. All I know is that just as I have done screaming my lungs out and was accustomed by the speed of my descend, I was rudely awakened by a vision of white before impact. Judging by my speed of descend, the impact should've caved in my whole body, yet all I feel is just a low impact, as if I have fallen off my bed.

I knew this is not home as I found myself on a plain of grass, its border of oak trees watches as I spouted every curse word I have in my mental dictionary. I gotta add limp-dicked son of a throat-singing thundercunt to my 'most creative swear word' list. But I'm not stupid, so I while I cursed, I take note of my surrounding. I like where I end up at, a fertile grass plain bordered by oak trees. The grass wasn't too long, which means a group of animals has been grazing this area. Animals' means food and leather, and the herb it eats might help me patch up the wound that surely comes later on. Healthy trees means available bark and sticks as material, allowing me to build some equipment. The land was lush, which means a healthy amount of rain and sunlight is common here. So water would've been a no-brainer. And you know the best part is? The road was well-trodden with traveller, the long wagon-wheel and horse track path gave me a direction to my next destination; human contact.

It was not a long journey, but damn it was a fucking memorable one. The moment I set a step forward was the moment I was assaulted from every side by monster girls. That's the best name for it, monster girls. Why? Because while they are technically monsters, they have the appearance of a cute woman. I found a blue slime that took the shape of a voluptuous woman, complete with a cute face to match with. I also find some girls clad in grey Victorian dress with huge brimmed hat, leaving trail of mucus behind like some kind of slug. But that's not the issue right now; they all wanted to rape me. Yes, as in fuck me senseless. How do I know that?

Their eyes told me everything.

I don't like the idea of my dick stuck in everything, so I ran. I can't just shoot everything I see can I? Especially they want something as strange as my semen. They can ask for money and shit but why semen? Why do they want to rape me? Are they that all desperate? I knew I'm not the best looking guy around; Hito beats me to it with his green dyed hair. I still retain my black hair though. But why?

But they're slow as fuck, and I'm fast as fuck, so I leave them all to dust as I quickly re-enacted the Battle of Stalingrad with the role of a charging Russian. URA!

I was a hardened explorer, and I have travelled through the harshest environment possible using my wit and skill. A simple marathon won't faze me, so I ran all the way from my landing zone to where I am now, a village named Iliasville. All the way, harassed by other monster girls in my path, slimed by blue slimes and slipped on mucus left behind by slug girls. But I made it, albeit dirty and gooey, but still alive and still a virgin dammit!

…Forget that I said that last part.

Iliasville looks…homely. That's the word, Homely. I felt a certain nostalgic emotion welling up inside me as I greeted the astonished green-haired youth at the gate. I don't know; I felt like I've returned home after all the time of travelling solo. I knew this is not my hometown; the guide makes it clear that this is a different village. But I still can't shake the feeling off…

The village is traditional-looking village sets in a medieval time, or so how I saw it. The guards wear European metal armour with distinctive bucket helmet design. They also carry spears and shield, as if they never heard of guns. Small-calibre bullet will ping off those, but a large calibre round by a high-powered rifle such as mine would punch a hole through their armour.

Apparently magic is something of a normalcy here, as they saw my sniper rifle as a magic staff. Well guns are kind of magical in their way; just pull a trigger and boom, you're dead bro. What makes this place even more messed up is that there are even some monster girls that roam around the village, as in the normal pedestrian style kind of saunter. I am a bit wary of them, but a local grandpa assures me that they are actually nice, if a bit perverted from time to time. Yeah, tell that to the ones who ambushed me outside.

I followed the guide to the chief's house, which looks much better than the others. Like a gentleman I was, I decide to relate my story toward the elderly couple over a cup of tea, expecting them to dismiss me as some raving lunatic. They didn't. The aging chief only smiled as he absorbed every word I feed him. On a side note, the tea is DAMN GOOD.

While I was worried that they might question my sanity, I found myself questioning it myself as I listened to the great tale of this land. Once upon a time, there was a powerful god by the name of Ilias who creates the world and everything inhabits it. But one of her creation, a certain Monster Lord decides that she wants more power, so she decides to fight back. Not ripping off Lucifer's battle against Gabriel, the Monster Lord was destroyed, leaving its monster brethren to roam the world as punishment for disobeying Ilias.

So far, I found myself trying my best to not pull my hair at such idiosyncrasies. The fuck is wrong with this world? He said Ilias hated Monster kind with a passion, but if she was the creator of everything, then why the fuck did she create something she hates in the first place? Why didn't she destroy them permanently if she did? And even if she creates such creatures, why the fuck did she make them a creature of lust, making a diet of semen their topmost priority? And above all, why the fuck did everything revolves around SEMEN?!

The chief was a kind man; therefore he decides to give me residence in his homestead much to my refusal. I don't like putting a burden on others, it makes me feel uncomfortable. They are wasting their perfectly good supply of tea to feed a man who can live off the land without giving a damn. I prefer sleeping on top of a tree, watching the night sky as the blanket of black abyss was decorated by a pattern of stars that twinkles like gemstone in the sky.

He proves to be a tolerant man, as he does not push his offer. I offered them something as return, a work of some sort to repay the kindness if I was to stay. It would not be right otherwise.

He told me that I should check out the temple if I desire direction. Now, I am not a religious man, but he asked for it, and he did give me a good tea. So off I go into the house of god.

My first impression of this place is good. This place is beautiful. It was build using white marble with impressive carving and architecture reminiscent to the Roman Empire. To be fair, their helmet and armour kinda reminds me of a Roman legionary. The walkway was a shiny path of marble with illustration of the goddess that shone brightly against the evening sun. The people there was interesting, telling me bits and pieces about the world around me.

I was impressed when I entered the temple. It was way bigger in the inside than outside. The high sloped ceiling gave the impression of grandeur and space when it's actually not that tall. By making a gentle sloping dome with a crystal chandelier stuck in the middle of it can conveys the illusion of height and space when there is lacking in it. I can see the spiralling staircase going not too high from the ground, vindicating my deduction.

I spend my time speaking with the people in the group. Apparently a crisis of faith has hit the country ever since the Renaissance as Ilias has stopped appearing in its true form. The faithful ones still remains here, ready to greet the goddess if god's willing. There's also the fact that a hero has been baptised here, allowing him to go on an adventure before I came.

I also found out that there is some kind of racial integration between two races from the guards too. While I don't mind having a dragon to look after my back I found no appeal or reason to find a monster girl to be raped WILLINGLY. I admit, most of the monster girls I ran away are noticeably more beautiful than their human counterpart, but what the fuck?

I found out that there was several type of job this place had. I was really surprised that there was even a job called Thief. Guess someone finally institutionalized the evil huh?

Anyway, I found out that I was a gunner and adventurer job, which I have mastered both and are qualified for several other type of work. I also qualified as a Guard too, so I can use some moves to subdue my opponent during combat. While I knew lots of Close-Quarter Combat technique, I rather not grapple with a 20 ton demon if I can. After all, that's what my guns are for!

I told one of the dudes that I wanna travel outside to search for my buddies, but he said that I need to be stronger and prove to him that I can survive outside as 'he was tired of seeing new adventurers coming home with a new wife and children.' Yeah…

He said that the best place to test my strength was through the Cave of trials south of this village, it would be a full hour journey on foot, but I can take a wagon and a guide to get there. He says that he'll help me get there as 'he wanted to see my worth'. Goddamnit, is this world some kind of a fairy tale fantasy or something? Proving my worth as a soldier, monsters and angels and dungeon crawling…

Welp, I don't mind stretching my arm for a bit. It would be stupid to rush into battle like some idiot without knowing what they're dealing with. He did say that the Cave is a good place to test my strength, as in test how much skull I can split between each shot. He also said that it would be better if I check around the village for stuff I need, notably their famous Ilias Herb that can heal anything.

Well, if he's buying then I'm in!

News flash, my money means nothing to them. They use gold coins as main currency. HOLY SHIT, do you know how much for one single gold coin like that? It would mean a thousand dollar outside, or even more! But this is Iliasville, not America, so a single coin equals to an equally delicious cookie.

After checking out the village, I realized that there is nothing I actually needed. While the herb looks promising, I don't think I'm ready to trust a single harpy feather to bring me back home. While my black hoodie is not as strong as iron, it still provide comfort and protection when I reinforced it with Kevlar many years ago. What am I supposed to do with a sword anyway?

Well, that's all for now for today's entry. I'm not gonna go to the cave yet, the sun has set and I as hell don't want to walk during the night when there is a warm inn that beckons me. But apparently the inn was closed because its owner was out adventuring. I can break it down, but that would be rude does it? Do you like it if you just went out for a day of orgy and blood and semen fest just to return home to see a douche just lying sleeping on your bed hugging your favourite blanket?

Fortunately, there is a nice old woman named Betty or something. She said that I should spend a night in the inn, as she was taking care of it now. Guess I'm not sleeping out in the open tonight.

So that's the story of my life today. One second I'm climbing a mountain, the next I am running from a bunch of sex-crazy monster girls in a world where semen rules the world. Semen is love, semen is life.

I really need to lay off the Coke…


	2. Chapter 2

14xx/5/2 Johannes Calendar

Second day of my first arrival…

All right, here's the deal. I'm gonna write a journal entry after sundown before bed to summarize the thing that happened in the light of day, as shit can get really weird in just a few moment.

Also, I'm still trying to get a grasp of this world's calendar, so don't expect me to write a precise date. I'll just write down the day since I just came here.

All right, here we go.

Betty was a nice old woman, her kindly blue eyes manages to invoke the emotion of motherly love and safety. I felt obliged to help her out with the dishes after the delicious breakfast she gave me. It felt nice, like eating your mother's cooking. I miss my mom…

The guide was the same guard I met yesterday. He was a grizzly veteran, complete with a scar on his left eye. I don't want to know how the thing he fought looks like. Thank god I am more of a ranged fighter myself. He wore a full set of iron armour. His red ponytail protrudes from his Sallet helm. He carries a simple long sword and a heater shield with an illustration of a descending angel.

The wagon I'm hitching is a trading wagon heading to Iliasburg originally. The cab driver was paid handsomely by the soldier to head toward the Cave of Trials. Alongside me there were a couple of fresh-faced recruits ready for their first rodeo. They are lightly armoured with leather outfit with the metal at the crucial part such as the breastplate and cuirass. They are also armed with weapons of their choice, most of them wielding a spear and shield. I like that combo. Like Kennedy used to say, speak softly and carry a big stick.

So what happened? Not much happened. Occasionally we fought off some slime girls and stuff but they usually ran away after a couple of beating. They are quite resilient too; I shot a wolf girl at her chest and she runs away like her life depends on it, all the while bleeding a trail behind her.

The captain and his student stared at me with a certain fear. Apparently they are testing their takedown technique in the caves, and both parties are trying their best to not kill each other to preserve the already shaky peace as it. Now I feel bad about the wolf girl earlier…

Anyway, after couple of minutes filled with jokes, jabs and shots we arrived at the cave. I was surprised that it was not in a mountain or anything. It's literally a hole that descends slowly into a series of crudely hewn hallway, the place reinforced by wooden beam and illuminated by torches. I really don't want to test their tensile strength…

Apparently we are supposed to go in group, so we walked in casually with our weapons in hand. The objective is to retrieve a simple medal deep inside the artificial cave system. I decided to wield my rifle as a club, as I had a strange feeling that all the monster we fought actually part of the ceremony and they are never wild in the first place.

Looks like I was right. They barely stand a chance. They all ran away after a couple of skirmish or so. Very few actually pressed their attacks, forcing the cadres to use whatever they learned to fend them off. What did they pay them girls with to not fight seriously?

And what the hell is wrong with their likeness with human female? How am I supposed to tell apart between a Rat Girl and a girl wearing a hat and long skirt? Most of them are only called Monster girls because they only have minor addition on their body. Who cares if they have a rat ears and tail anyway?

I am a bit wary of the slug girls, so I'll just bash their chest in with my rifle butt. The last time I tried to shot one ends up messy. A slime girl ends up with most of her face splattered across the cave wall, the large Mauser round produced strong kinetic force that tear off a huge chunk of her face. She just flails around like a headless chicken as the slime quickly slid back to the owner. I nearly barfed on that sight.

The only one I remember doing a grapple is to a Dog girl, who has jumped on one of the cadets earlier in the level. I didn't see the girl, I see the fang. Little girl tries her best to escape my chokehold only to realize it was in vain. As a last resort, she lets out a whimper and weakly tapped my arm as a sign of surrender.

She has the body of a pre-schooler, she has dog ears, and she is looking at me with the cutest and most sorrowful stare I've ever seen. How can I be so cruel to a cute little girl? She gave me the cutest tail wag ever before running off into the oblivion. I felt an aching pain in my heart for the rest of the trip.

All and all, the trip was not remarkable. Yeah it's true that we're fighting monster girls who want our semen in a dungeon armed with medieval weaponries, but it's kind of getting old in extended trip. Bash head in, shoot some girls, spare some girls, open some chest, tries our best to not get raped… In the end it felt like the biggest chore of my life. I nearly screamed in ecstasy when we finally found the medal. Being ambushed over and over again was NOT fun.

All and all, we cleared the dungeon with no casualties and a raging boner to match with our swords. The captain was happy with his troop, declaring that they would be fitting for Ilias themselves in the future.

Well, he did fulfil his promise. He told me that I should head toward Iliasburg northeast of the village. It would be a day's journey through my two foot. I don't mind walking a long trek to another village, but seeing all this crazy shit that's gonna happen to me in my trek…

The wagon would depart to Iliasburg after depositing us toward the village. From there, I'll hitch a ride with the wagon all the way to Iliasburg. The journey would take a full daylight time to reach there. By the time we reached Iliasburg, it should've been around sundown. Nothing good comes out of the night.

Well, lo and behold! Our carriage broke its wheel when a large millipede girl just burst outta nowhere from the ground and tangled its long slimy tail onto our wheel. A brief fight later, we have to repair the wheel with what we got, all the while fending off the oncoming Monster Girls, which the broken wheel and the Millipede girl's attack function as a pseudo dinner bell. It took us a good hour and a half.

At the end of the day, we didn't manage to reach Iliasburg in time so we have to camp out at the road. I am now writing this while being on lookout for any other monster girls out there. I was used to the rigorous lifestyle of an explorer, therefore such inconveniences means little for me.

It was not that the most concerning matter in my mind. Why are the Monster Girls so damned aggressive? At first I thought they might use pleasure attack, like cover us in slime then stroke our genital until we gave up. That bitch earlier on just busted our wheels like it was nothing! She just jumped out like she was ambushing us. And if she did, then who organize it? Why would they gravely injure something they need intact?

And that's not all, back in the Cave, one of the wolf girls used their claws to tear some bloody gashes on my comrade's outfit. As far as I heard from near said, they aren't that aggressive to start with. In fact, they've been living with the humans in this place without problem at all. Hell there's even a few generations consisted of Monster and Human in an amalgamation of genetic ancestry! And that's not all; even my driver said that they are usually aggressive this time of year.

I don't want to make any kind of conspiracy theory, but I doubt it that whatever is going on, is not going to be good...

Hito…I'm sorry I dragged you to this mess. I'll find you, and we'll get back home together, or die trying.

Alex Armin never breaks his promise…


	3. Chapter 3

14xx/5/3

3 day after first arrival…

Iliasburg at last! Man that ride was fun!

Slimed in multiple places, being choked by a large disgusting millipede, nearly swallowed whole by a leech girl, and being ambushed at EVERY FUCKING STEP…how fun…

I am writing this in a local inn. I got some gold coins dropped by the Monster Girls I've fought before, so I can afford a place to sleep and something to fill my belly. I don't want to waste away my MRE ration yet.

Breakfast was a simple affair, just a piece of bread spread with margarine. I thought it's a little bit bland, so I spread some sugar over it and heat them up to make a good toast. Damn that was a good toast. A swig from my Coca Cola and water bottle suffices for the day. After breakfast, I decided to look around for my buddy or something I'll need later on.

The city was decent, but it still in the realm of the medieval. Lots of knights in armour walks around carrying sheathed sword and such. I have a bad feeling that I'll run out of ammo and reduced to use a bow and arrow to fight. A sword would be cool, but do I look like a swordsman? Why bother bringing yourself to harm's way if you can just snipe your enemy from far away?

Yeah, my ideology is cowardly. But I rather call myself 'alive' than dead for honour.

So the deal is, there was a group of bandits called the Heavenly Shining Brothers Sister what the fuck did they call themselves who was terrorising the city for months. Last I heard; there was a vampire and dragon in their crew, hence the reason they are feared. While I believe sword would make a very useless weapon against a dragon, I do think I'll stand a fair chance of success if I make some improvised pipe bomb or some mollie tove.

I always wondered how strong a bullet is against a dragon scale.

Looks like I came here way too late to test anything. The Heavenly Bandit has already disbanded and is doing some kind of honest labour to make up for their evil ways. And they are also children. Bandit children. You'll laugh at that notion, but it's a serious issue to me. Ever met a child soldier before? Child bandit is no different; you force a child to perform a crime in your behest while you laid back and watch the cash rolls in. It's the children who has to die, the children who has no part in your petty war, are forced to die for your stupid ideology…

I entered the item shop first, I need a map. Why I didn't buy a map at Iliasville anyway? Plus, I had a bad feeling that I'll run out of pages in my journal later on.

The shop was normal at first glance, and then I caught a small aisle manned by a single child. Why that little blonde girl did that caught my eye? She was nearly NAKED. The only thing that covers her small cuddly frame is a pair of tattered, worn black cape that flutters at every movement. The only thing she wore underneath that is a pair of white cotton panties, that's it. Not even a scrap of thread was found on the little girl. She was beaming at me, asking me what do I want.

The shopkeeper notices my increasingly scarlet face and explained that she was a vampire, and that was her attire all along. She was also his apprentice, and she was right now training to sell stuff to the customer like a merchant does. Yeah right, what kind of teacher would let his student runs around practically naked, especially if she's in public?! And why the hell did he told her to do? She was selling useless shit at her stall, how the hell did selling pebbles and grass is 'educational'?

I made a mental note to buy her some proper clothing when I have money to spare. Right now I have very little.

I then searched for a blacksmith, as I need them to do something for me. My search was successful as I saw the sign outside the shop which I hurriedly rush in. The interior of the blacksmith is typical like I've imagined it. Behind a table there was a large forge with an anvil and bucket of water to cool down the hot blade. There were also several crates of iron ingots near the anvil, ready to be smelted and formed into common weapon item. There are also two large tables at the right of the entrance, ready-to-use weapon displayed in full glory on the carpeted table with the price scribbled on a piece of paper. The other much more elaborate (and much more expensive) weaponries were displayed on the store's wall, as if displaying the forge's prized trophy.

The blacksmith itself was large bald dude, his large powerful arms scarred and toned after years of bashing metal with heavy metal. I expected this kind of person as a blacksmith, but can you expect a baby dragon with the size of a human pre-pubescent girl and a body of a little girl to mould the weapon at the forge? Yeah, she did have a powerful looking dragon hands and legs and tails, but that's the only thing that was remotely dragon on her. Aside from her arms, legs and tails, her body has no difference than a 12 year old.

She was a blacksmith's apprentice, and according to her teacher, she was a damn good one. Well, I came here for a single reason only, and that's to craft more bullets for my weapon. While I know how to make my own bullet and clean my weapon, the only thing I'm lacking was material, and the forge has loads of them.

The dragon's eye literally burned with fire as I gave her the bullets. I need to see whether they are capable of crafting bullets only through my instruction, as waiting for them to finish making bullets by hand would take days. I write down the ingredient for the smokeless powder as well as the bullet's blueprint for them to recreate it. For research purpose, I gave them a single clip of the Mauser round and 5 rounds of .45 ACP for them to study.

The dragon was ecstatic, if knowledge was food, she would've devoured every morsel of the blueprint I gave her. Her skills can be seen by the way she handles the bullet, which pleases me greatly. She handle each bullet with care, her long sharp claw held it aloft as she gaze at the bullet with every intensity as a dragon on its prey. She swallowed every detail, her eyebrows scrunched up in deep thought as she figures out the way to recreate it with her claws only.

The blacksmith smiled, he said it was one hell of a challenge to make such precise item by hand. Hell, he even said that he would do it with a discount, as this is a very good learning experience for his student in the art of precise forging. Discount…I like it!

I told them that I don't need all those stupid flowery carving they got on their armour and such, just give me the bullets and done. To sweeten the deal, I told him that I'll let him take a look at my rifle if he does it just like I wished it.

The dragon's eyes lit up with a fire that burns straight into my corneas and into my heart, such was the intensity of the pup's gaze. Her smile widened even bigger as she quickly jumped toward the pile of iron the blacksmith kept. I stayed behind to see whether they can live up to my expectation.

They did. Instead of crafting each bullet by hand, they took a few ingots and shaped a mould of my bullet to make more bullets. One mould for cartridge, one mould for the bullet, mould for the striker and the cap. For the bullet itself, they used copper that shone like gold in the suffocating heat and flame of the forge. The pup handles the melted copper underneath her master's supervision. After they melt the copper, they poured it into the mould, which they quickly cooled it down with water. The pup then polished it into a gleaming sheen of red gold jacket. Under my supervision, I instructed her on how much the chemical needed to cook up a good powder. She was a quick learner, and she did the rest after a few attempts. In the end, she fixed the bullet into the cartridges with her hands only, squeezing them until they stuck permanently on the target.

I was astonished by the quality of her build. Damn, she was a real deal! This bullet looks like it was done by a professional gunsmith! But of course, looks mean nothing if it was useless. So I loaded the five rounds she made and fired at the nearest target I can see; a cheap-looking brass shield. It was intended as mass-produced equipment for traveller so it was cheap. The bullet punched through the thin metal like butter. The bullet was stopped by the concrete wall behind it, which was lodged in a big crater created through kinetic force alone.

For a newbie, she was good. All five of them fired perfectly, working just as it intended. That's not all; I've inspected the shield I've used for target practice. While it may be made from brass, it was of high-quality; metal was perfectly shaped and curved, all the while embossed with carving of the goddess Ilias. If this shop wants to go on a competition, I'll bet every coin I have on them.

Unfortunately, I don't have the money to bet anything, or even pay my 5 clips of Mauser. How am I supposed to pay them with?

Papi again come to my rescue, I'm starting to like this pup. She told me to get to her good friend Teeny, who is working at a high-class inn called the Sutherland Inn. She told me that she can get a few help from an explorer like me. She gave me the address of the location. I thanked her for the bullets and promised them that I'll repay every cent. As that's the right thing to do.

Calling that place an inn was a joke, that thing is a motherfucking five star hotel! The thing was a jarring pristine white from the usual rustic homestead of the city. I can smell the rich aura even from the outside.

Teeny was a maid for the hotel, which the lady said that she was an excellent one. She was something else; she has a lower body of a snake and an upper body of a prepubescent child. Her tongue was long and forked like a snake; her eyes stared at me with certain craftiness as she approaches me. Eye of a snake.

Looks like she's the one doing all the work here. Apparently the Harpies at the hotel and the nearby village have gone missing, leaving her behind to do all the work. While she did a good job, it is tiring for her. I can see the fatigue in her eyes and her posture, her body always leaning forward despite trying to stay upward. She said that if I found something about what happened at the village, I can repay Papi's debt, as that is what Teeny wants.

For the love of god…the Happiness Village and the Harpy Village is damned far. It'll take me two days on horse carriage and I don't think I have enough money to buy my way to that village. How am I supposed to reach that place on foot?

This time, I conceded to my apprehension and bought me self a harpy feather. It was a pretty little thing, the feather soft and light. It smells good too.

Turns out, it only can bring you to the place you've visited before. As because I never visited Happy Village, I can't teleport over there. Fuck.

Well, guess I'll walk.

Or not.

You see, just as I am ready to embark upon my amazing journey of semen and blood when I found another carriage bound for Happiness Village. It was a business wagon, carrying a good supply of herbs and spices. I hitched a ride there by promising the driver that I'll protect the cargo in exchange of giving me a ride. He consented to my request. Yay for me…

It's a waste trying to record the detail of my journey. Nothing actually happens in the journey. Well, so far it was quite. The plain alongside the path I chose is clear from any form of monsters. While I saw some tell-tale sign of a Millipede Girls, they never approach our carriage.

The sun has fallen and we are halfway to that village. The wagon driver decides to press on, wanting to cover as much ground as possible. I don't like going in the dark, every step made me feel like a monster gonna jump out of nowhere and just rape us without knowing it.

Looks like I was right. Just as we cover around 5 more metre then we were bombarded by a hailstorm of arrows. The driver stopped and raised his shield in an attempt to block the deadly missile. I jumped off the wagon and crawled underneath the wagon, waiting for the arrows to stop.

I crawled from my post to see a group of scantily-clad female archers walking toward us, swaying their hips suggestively. Their pink bunny ears and hair complement their beautiful faces as my hidden cannon were primed and ready to fire. They seem to take a liking for the driver, as one of them strode forward to grab the driver. He will have none of that; he quickly reined his horse and bolted off like a bat outta hell, leaving me behind. Fuck.

So here I am, being surrounded by female bunny warrior, alone and outnumbered, and far away from help. Fuck my life.

I don't want to take any chances, so I did something incredibly stupid. So stupid, it is the same as charging them in with nothing but a bayonet. I unzipped my pants. For added power, I removed my meat from my underwear, aiming my cannon at anybody who wants a piece.

One of the girls wanted the cannon, so she walked toward me. She then kneel underneath me, her pink eyes gazed softly at my penis. She opened her mouth…

And that's as far as she got. I kneed her in the face and quickly grabbed her to use as a meat shield. I placed my pistol on her temple as a necessary ingredient for my plan. Don't move or I'll blow her sorry head off!

They reluctantly obeyed, laying down their bows one at a time. To other's I have an advantage. Not quite. Monster Girls worked by seducing men to ejaculate, making them a slave to pleasure through masterful sexcraft and their sensual body. My bunny hostage was no different. While she looks no different than any other woman, she has a soft bunny tail at her rear, which rubbed at my manhood as she softly swayed her hip. Every movement brings me closer to ecstasy.

The sensation of her soft tail on my penis was marvellous; every movement sent a spike of pleasure into my spine. So this is why other human searched for monster girls to get raped; their body felt so good, you just want to drown yourself in pleasure and forget about everything, you home, your family, hell even your own dignity.

Her clit was very near, and she was utterly under my mercy. All I have to do, was to slid my penis lower, and drive in…

But I have a promise to keep.

So I knocked her out with a simple pistol-whip and ran like hell while my penis was peeking out, wondering what the hell its owner were doing running with his zipper down.

I manage to catch up with my original driver. He was camping out in the open, having a meal around a campfire. I was pissed that he left me behind. But he was pissed at me for not doing my job properly. I told him it would be very easy for me to kill him and steal his shit, but decide against it because of honour.

Huh, I speak of honour, yet I seriously contemplated on violating my prisoner earlier on. What a hypocrite am I…

Anyway, to make up for it, I let him sleep as long as he desire while I took watch, I did kinda just stare while his attacker's about to rape him. So far, there's no sign of any bunny girls hunting me down. They probably stayed behind with their injured comrade. I'll do the same if one of my teammate was injured.

Dammit…What the hell is going on?

That bunny girl earlier…What is she actually? Never have I such a lecherous desire to start with. Yes, I do have my sexual desire, but it was tightly suppressed under lock and key through intense willpower and experience. I have got to the point where I can stare at a woman's naked body and not be hard, even if I'm touching it. It came useful when performing first aid or when being interrogated by a seductress.

It's not like this is the first time I've been in a company of a beautiful woman; my employer was a beautiful duchess with the body to match. Most of my work buddies are beautiful woman, their body are voluptuous enough to render a man drooling. I endured all that without blinking an eye. Why do I felt such lust in the first place? Why do I desire such vices, especially out in the open? Was it the atmosphere? I remember feeling a certain something in the air when I arrived here. In fact, I'm still feeling it as I am writing this. Was there some kind of an ether substance in the atmosphere that somehow boosted my hormone?

I don't know, but what I know is that I must be careful the next time I encountered a Monster Girl. This desire for sex would be my downfall.

Critical Ecstasy, the term coined by the priest back in Ilias Temple. It was a condition where a man has fully subdued to the sexual pleasure given by any form of Monster Girls; usually it happens after the first ejaculation. A warrior can have a chance if he didn't ejaculate. Once he did, it was all over. I laughed at that term, dismissing it as stupid and thought that every fucker out there was just too horny for their own good.

I'm not laughing now. The near ejaculation from just the friction at that bunny girl's tail was powerful, and I can still feel its pressure. This is not a laughing matter. If I got in that situation again I'll be dead before I can even think. I should've take my own advice before; Walk with an Open Mind.

In order to become a proper explorer, you must be willing to put aside every presumption, every myth, everything that stops you from making contact with other must be thrown away. Forget your ideology, forget your pessimism, and forget about everything. Exploring means searching for your place in a world, if you retain your previous view, you shall never see the horizon. Walk with an Open Mind, and ye shall stray not from your path!

I must approach this with an open mind. If being raped by Monster Girls are the worst thing out there, I must make it a priority above all else. Adapt and overcome, lest you end up being swallowed by the merciless environment.

The world is a beautiful place, but it is also a harsh one. Be like a grass that sways along the current and still retain its original form, or you become a stick, stiff and broke when the current were stronger than you. Unlike the grass, the stick remains broken even when the current is done. Don't be a stick.

Just approach everything with a calm mind, and you shall survive. That's how I somehow don't freak out at every step once I got here. Being an explorer has its perk; nothing actually fazes you. Some places will shock you like no tomorrow, but the effect never last.

I'm rambling now. It's just that I was bored, nothing actually happened and the night is still halfway through. I just need to stay awake until the sun is up, then I'll sleep on the carriage.

Fuck it. I'll end the entry here. I'll just go and clean my rifle.


	4. Chapter 4

14xx/5/5

5th day since arrival…

Welp, Happy Village is happy.

It seems that I came a bit late for the party. The Harpies has already returned home. There was a massive rejoicing on the street. The village was situated on a low hill with the village's chief being on top of the hill. But it was nothing compared to the large tree that shadows over the village. The harpies flew to and fro in the sky, celebrating their return to their beloved husbands in the village. The youth in the village also cheered, happy that their betrothed has returned home alive and well.

From what I gather from the local guide, the Happiness Village was a village with a strong tie to the Harpy Village through marriage contract. The boys in the village would be betrothed to the harpies of the other village, thus ensuring a healthy relationship between the neighbouring villages. He also says that it works to relieve any boys who have hit puberty, preventing the village from smelling like cum through regular masturbation.

That's a brilliant idea. Why can't we have more policies like that?!

Through some legwork I found out that the Harpies have been infected by an ancient virus that enhance their libido and remove their inhibition, in short it means that the virus makes them a rampaging sex machine and will rape anybody regardless of age or health. The harpies loved their human friends and want to protect them, so they quarantined themselves in a tower hidden in the heavy forest. Oddly, the same hero who has defeated the Heavenly Bandit at Iliasburg is the one responsible for their recovery.

Well, my job here is done. All I need to do is to use the Harpy feather and teleport back to Iliasburg.

Or maybe I could check out the cool shit they have here…

It was harmless to check out their wares right? So I did just that, inspecting the wares the marketplace was selling. Beside from the ubiquitous fruit and vegetables, I also found some item that I might need in my journey. I bought some Ilias Herb and some Harpy feathers too. The merchant behind the counter explained to me how it works. He was surprised that I knew nothing about these useful items.

Let's just say that Ilias Herb is the BOMB. I was a bit sceptic about its effectiveness so I tested it with the best option possible; by cutting my left arm. Once I swallowed the herbs the cut just VANISHED, like the wound never actually was there to begin with! Open mind Alex, open mind.

I'm not ready to test the feather yet; I have a blacksmith to visit.

The weapon shop was manned by a family of three youngsters. I can clearly see through their visage and identical eyes that they are twins except the youngest one. The youngest one is a little girl, just somewhere around the age of 8. Through the little girl's insistence, I decided to take a look at the wares they offered. Hey, what do you expect me to do? I like cute little children remember?

While I really want to please the little girl's desire, I really don't need their wares. Again, I don't need a sword, a hammer, or anything at all. What the fuck I supposed to do with a whip or a fan? I recognized the combat fans used by Japanese woman back in Edo period, but a freaking cat-o-nine tails? What is this, a torture device shop? Why would you sell a china plate in a WEAPON SHOP?! Are they actually using them as weapons?! What use does a weaponized abacus serve? Wouldn't a simple iron mace serve a better purpose? Or hell, maybe a simple wooden club?

A feather hat looks promising, but again, why would I need a hat? I know that I'm quite strong, but even I know that carrying my standard 20 kg equipment in heavy steel armour is a bad idea. I seriously considered a good lightweight shield, but I'm afraid the kilojoules generated by a high-strung bow can penetrate the flimsy board it made of.

Try as I might, I just don't need the thing they sell. My KA-BAR knife is still good, if not better for my needs anyway. They are not blacksmith, so I just can't request bullets anyway.

Speaking of blacksmith, they directed me toward the village's blacksmith, who was surprisingly a tiny naked fairy. Her long lock of black hair frames her eternally youthful visage as she cast the iron sword she was working on. I never expected the blacksmith to be a fairy. She was working on a sword for the old man in front of her, who is watching her work in an orderly fashion. The old man said that the sword is for his grandson who will start his training tomorrow.

She specialized in synthesizing weapons, which means that she can imbue certain elements into weapons to make them stronger, or hell even make a new weapon out of nowhere. How it works? She just strengthens the important part like the blade of a sword with certain item such as a beautiful Harpy feather. Then, with her fairy magic she'll fuse it together in order to give the weapon the property of the wind. That piques my interest. I wonder if I can make my rifle spit actual lava?

But that raise a new question. What happen if I try to synthesize a projectile-launching weapon? She says that she only imbues the important part of the weapon. If that was the case, then what part should she imbue to strengthen a gun, or even a simple crossbow? Through that logic, only the launcher itself will become stronger than ever. The gun and the bullets are two different separate components of a single weapon, like a bow and a different type of arrow. If she only strengthen the gun, would that only made the weapon no less effective than it normally was? The power of the weapon came from the projectile it launches, not the launcher itself. What would reinforce a rifle but not the bullet does other than creating an elaborate club?

She only smiled at my question. She said that of all the customer she has faced before, I'm the select few who actually asked about this fundamental question. She said that most people have misunderstood about the actual purpose of synthesizing a projectile-launching weapon such as a bow when reinforcing their weapons.

Turns out, what she did it turns the weapon into a magical CATALYST for the projectile. By giving the weapon the innate ability to imbue the ammunition used, it spontaneously make the weapon much more powerful, as each projectile loaded was imbued with magical properties by the weapon itself. It's like an improvised flamethrower; the flamethrower function as a gas-dispensing machine, it became a wholly different and deadly weapon when a lighter was attached to the nozzle. The lighter is the imbuement for the weapon like the gas-dispenser; the flame is the new product of the projectile enhanced by the lighter.

She said that guns are not common here, but it still exists. How? Back during the Great War several holes appeared across the continent. They call the holes in ground as Tartarus, which literally means abyss in Ancient Greek. Apparently many new frightening creatures and technologies emerge from such abyss, spurring a new cultural and intellectual force in the world. Such technologies or Makina was researched and effectively used by several specialized individual such as engineers. While it was hard to master a Makina properly, the damage output of a Makina in the hand of a proper operator is undeniable.

Funny how a Spanish music genre ends up as a weapon of mass destruction. Gangster rap, eat your heart out; we got a music genre that really inspire VIOLENCE.

The problem is; I don't have the item needed to imbue my rifle, or even my knife for that matter. Plus, I still owe the blacksmith back in Iliasburg for the bullets they made. I told her that I'll be in touch. She smiled, telling me to come back when I change my mind.

Bloom nobly, cherry blossom.

Anyway, my job here in Happy Village is done. Time to test out my new Harpy feather.

The feather WORKED. I mean, actually worked despite my small pessimism. One moment I was thinking about the shop back in Iliasburg, the second I am in front of it with slack jaw and a pair of wide eyes. Open mind Alex, OPEN MIND.

The blacksmith was surprised that I actually go through to my promise, which is all in vain because Papi has already left on an adventure. Oh for fuck sake, gimme a break! I just finished my mission, and then the one who gave me the mission just up and left me behind, just like that! I could've just rob this place, just put a round on his face and be done with it. Hell I can even threaten the dragon girl itself to do my bidding! But no, I have to be the honourable one; I HAVE to repay my debt of bullets to them.

Oh well, good guys are always screwed over. We are all good guys, but in the end we became bad guys because being good doesn't pay much. The only difference between a good guy and a normal guy is that he is good just for a few more moments. The blacksmith somehow manages to keep me at the good guy zone. He says that Papi regretted leaving him behind as she believes that I am an honourable person and she really was interested in my Makina (guns). In return, she said that the blacksmith will produce bullets for me for a premium price, which means that I can buy bullets in bulk just under the price of 10 gold coins. That…was pretty good deal for me. I need bullets.

So far, I've had investigated several cities, or villages in the Ilias continent. I have visited the Happiness Village, Iliasburg and Iliasville. I am thinking about the Harpy Village now because I have already paid my debt to Papi. I can't get over to the region around Sabasa and Grandeur as there was a war going on. I can't get over to San Ilia as there was a huge tempest at the sea route, preventing ships coming and going from Port Natalia to Port Ilias. But I can still visit Harpy Village, Midas, Lost Woods, many dudes says do not go to Lost Woods; that makes me want to explore it even more. And I have a strong feeling for a village named Pornof. Why? Because it's funny as hell! I'm still laughing as I am writing this entry.

My wanderlust is now triggered, and I shall not rest until I have explored every nook and cranny this place has.

Well, I've visited the Happy Village once, which means that I can visit it again right?

Hell yeah I can; I am teleported right outside the village. I can see the looming world tree just a few miles away from my position. The sky was thick with flocks of Harpies and Sparrow Girls flying to and fro between the villages. The harpies and Sparrow Girls looks like a human woman, which to my opinion the Harpies are the better looking one. They stand out because they both have bird legs or claws as they were called. Their arms were replaced by a pair of beautiful feather wings. The harpies are armed with white wings occasionally dotted with blue, purple or even scarlet feathers. The Sparrows are armed with brown and white feathers. Yep, Harpies are the prettier one.

The village of Harpies are consisted of a large interconnected web of tree houses built around the trees. The tree house, inexplicably are actually a substantial amount of earth packed in a box held aloft by some strong construction of wood and metal (and occasionally some large branches). The earthen airborne sandbox is where they built their houses and plant their garden, like a backyard or a lawn of some sort. Some houses as built into the tree with the entrance peeking out at its own personal earth box. How they were connected to each other? A simple system consisted of rope ladder and bridges made up their main locomotion when not using their wings.

This is NOT the place for land-dwellers.

The houses are situated around 30 feet off the ground and spiral upward to the tope, which I believe belongs to the Queen Harpy herself. It means nothing if you're a bird, but I'm not a bird. I can't survive a 100 kilometre fall if push comes to shove. I don't have wings for god sake!

The shops here sell just the same shit as the other shop with little variance. I do admit, it's not like I need 30 different types of spices in a shop anyway. In the end I just bought a simple blouse for Vanilla (the blonde little girl back in Iliasburg). It was nothing too expensive, nor is it too big for a child her size. It's just a simple colour of bright red and white stripes that complements her blonde hair. I have just enough money for another meal. Ach, I can just go out and beat up some Monster Girls for more money. It's not like they needed it anyway. If they did, then why some of them are buck naked?

Fuck, this is how a bandit thinks! He'll just go out there and beat up people, not for self-defence, but for money! That's not how a proper gentleman works, that's not how I work. If they have enough money to drop it on the ground after a fight, then they might have enough money to buy clothes. Maybe…Maybe they did not buy clothing because…maybe they need the money to buy food and they have not enough spare money to buy clothing? In that case, the girls I fought off and scooped money from the ground was penniless, and I just took the thing they needed the most.

Fuck…I feel really bad now.

Oh well Alex, just keep a calm and an open mind.

Using my only remaining Harpy feather I returned to Iliasburg, eager to see Vanilla's joy in realizing that she would no longer be a naked savage any longer. It was all in vain. The merchant behind the counter said that she and her friend's just walks out with some hero and just literally joined her without questioning, the same hero who has defeated them before. Oh come on! I just wasted 60 gold coins for that dress!

I still don't trust that merchant. Why the hell not? If you have a child apprentice under you, who was next to buck naked, do you leave her be in that skimpy outfit and just watch her sell useless shit? Uniform was created for this very reason, to clothe the one who are unclothed!

Oh well, I missed my opportunity. I'll just keep the dress for another little girl if the situation arises. It does not take up too much space in my bags anyway. Next stop; Pornof.

I'm not gonna wait, by the time I'm writing this I should be somewhere along the cobbled lane heading to Pornof. It shall be around 3 days on wagon. I hitched a ride with another merchant laden with spices. The barrels of the spices are covered tightly by cloth, but even as I'm writing this I can smell the sharp scent of the Restorative Roots. Why? I need a transport for the trip. Plus, he said that he doesn't need money, as long as I keep a lookout for other Monster Girls out there. I really wish I bought that lightweight shield…

Plus, I have another darker reason. I need money, and the only way I knew how is to fight Monster Girls and scoop up their money as they run away. I don't know why they threw away their money after losing a fight though, was it an unspeakable rules? That the defeated side must relinquish some money or items to the winning side? Or did they throw those moneys away just to distract their attacker so they can run away?

This robbing defeated enemy…it was robbing, pure and simple. This goes against my belief, but I need to keep an Open Mind about this. If that's how warriors on the road get their money, then I have no choice; I need them moneys.

Fuck…

Its night already and we have pitched our tent for the night. The horse needs rest too, just like us. I took the second shift like always; I need my eyes to be alert to spot any attacker for the next two days. The night was beautiful, just like any other night. The stars on the sky complement the black canvas of the night. The long grass plain at the side of the road somehow shines in a strange mirage of rippled green waves of emerald sea. Using the scope of my rifle, I can see a group of centaur women settling down for the night. They sit down like the horse did, but their human side was peculiar to look at. They lay on what I assume their human stomach, allowing their human part to properly sleep on the ground. That was interesting to look at.

I need sleep. I'll write down the next entry when I reached Pornof. Nighty night journal.


	5. Chapter 5

14xx/5/8

8th days since arrival…

Pornof. How fitting the name was for its reputation.

I am a bit disappointed by the shabby village which allegedly was the most perverted town in the whole continent. The defence was much better than average, but it is not great. The village is surrounded by a whole batch of rough sandstone walls that serve either as a barrier or as a cage if you're a victim. I can see a single bridge over a small river. It looks deep enough; I'm not gonna chance it though.

The village quickly made its reputation known just through first contact. The smell of semen were strong when the wind picked up, but it usually masked by the dusty red powder of the streets. Not only the smell of cum was prevalent, everybody was wearing nothing but a pair of underwear. Most of them are young males, their hungry eyes preyed upon my body as I uneasily move around the neighbourhood. No wonder the Monster Girls never raided this place; their predatory glare enough can shatter the pride of a lion.

Or not. While I was strolling at the extreme side of the wall to find loophole for me to climb over I heard a simple sniffle. It was feminine and it surely was scared out of her mind. Through instinct my ear became sharper as my mind switched to its much more primal instinct. Every pore of my skin tingles at the surrounding. I can hear, see and smell everything. I can hear the sharp intake breath of the woman, afraid that she was heard. I can smell the acrid stench of semen and sweat that permeates the air like the Black Plague. I can see a hint of pink in a large bush of green and rhubarb vegetation.

The said instinct also helped me dodge an oncoming arrow which would've skewered me at the throat if I reacted too late. I can sense the desperate fear she has as she loaded another arrow onto her bow.

I am quicker, and she was inexperience and scared. I ducked underneath the new missile and tackled the woman on the ground. Surprisingly, it was the same rabbit girl that tries to fuck me earlier. Not that it matters anyway; they all look just the same. They all wear the identical skimpy swimsuit-sex suit thing they wore and they have bright pink bubble-gum hair and bush tail. Their ears are also pink too, which my prisoner's ears were now twitching like a madman.

She was openly sobbing, afraid for her dear life as I put her on a hold. I was very surprised by this development. Did they not thrive on human semen? And if so, why is she so scared and hides from sight, when such resources are readily available and plentiful in a village that will treat her well with all the semen they can muster?

It took me a good couple minutes to bring her back to sanity, and that minute consisted of slowly turning my chokehold into a warm hug, which she surprisingly accept with ease. When they are not trying to kill me or giving me the most awkward boner ever they are strangely cuddly, their soft skin a delight for my cheek to feel as I nuzzled her neck in order to make her feel safer.

Her name is Barony; she was a Bunny Girl who just graduated from her flock or her group to venture upon this new land in search of her own husband. I was surprised when she explained why and how they search their semen supply. Most of the time they will just rape them and be done with it, but if someone REALLY caught their fancy, they'll start to follow and do anything in their power to make the men theirs; usually through kidnapping and rape. As because Monster Girls are born with the ability to pleasure men to unknown limit, it was no surprise that the male would concede to her desire, as they can provide sexual stimulant unlike any woman.

Strangely, they didn't attack for no reason unless a certain months, where they will crave semen like their life depends on it. For them, making a man cum marks the man as a potential husband, whom they will be devoted for the rest of their lives. The Harpies of the Happiness Village is a prime example of this theology.

Pornof was surprisingly one of the most despised and beloved city in the continent, much to my surprise. It was infamous for its practice of harassment against any kind of women, monsters or other. Even worse, some has gone to the point of hunting down certain Monster Girls and enslaved them into a lifetime of servitude and shame. They are forced to perform so many bizarre fantasies against their will, as most of them are perverted beyond recognition. She is one of the unfortunate one.

Perversion and sex is the highest point of Pornof, and they will do anything to secure a sex slave in order to fill out their perverse fantasy.

To say I was fucking pissed was an understatement, there's even an underground market for Monster Girls? Even they are not safe from the sex trade?! What the fuck? What is wrong with this world? They are like what? Ten times stronger than a human? They can even withstand a 7.92 Mauser round without dying for fuck sake!

I know I can't get involved with this, but I can't just leave Barony behind. She was scared shitless and I can see the tell-tale chain mark on her wrist. If it was not for her insistence I've would burn this place to the ground, honour be damned!

I gave her a single Harpy feather, which I stored inside my jacket. She smiled in gratitude and disappeared from sight in a strange flash of light and wind. A circular gust of wind envelopes her like a tornado before her whole body was engulfed in a bright light. There was no sign of her when the light subsides. This is the first time I saw a Harpy Feather teleportation.

Like always; I've decided to take a looksies at the shops the village has. Aside from a few succubus's, I've also found a single shop that doubles as an item, weapon, convenience and a blacksmith all rolled into one shop. The convenience, item and weapon shop were manned by three naked dudes wearing a pair of cotton underwear. I bought another Ilias Herb and Harpy feather, as that is the only thing I need for the moment. Again, why would I need bronze armour, or a combat fan?

Turns out, the one manning the item shop was an avid alchemist who was obsessed in finding the best combination of chemicals to create the best aphrodisiac known to mankind. So far, he manages to create a very effective sleeping agent that works instantaneously, unlike chloroform.

Fun fact: It will take more than 5 minutes to knock somebody out with chloroform-doused tissue.

Against my better judgement; I've discussed with him on how to make some good explosives that can blast a wall down with whatever you can find in a tool shed, or what you can find in a MODERN tool shed. The insta-sleep as he called it was made through a combination of salt, horse urine, Beautiful Coral, whisky, Harpy feather, and Slime Girl's slime which he left for a day to ferment in concentrated Crab Girl's bubbles.

Gee, just hearing that makes me nauseous. I bought a small bottle for safety. I also bought some chemicals to make some pipebombs and Molotov. A good chemical mix can create an intense flame if needed. Maybe I should make napalm too?

How to make a good pipe bomb? Here's my version of pipe bomb: buy a pipe (duh), something to close the mouth (woodblock, nuts and bolts, plastic scraps), short string doused in petrol, Explosive mix (fuel oil and ammonium nitrate solution) and a lighter to ignite the bomb. First, cover the bottom pipe so that the mixture shall not pour out of the pipe (I use a piece of plastic bound in strong duct tape). It doesn't need to be overly strong, just strong enough to withstand the environment and keep the mixture in.

Then you want to pour the explosive mixture to the brim. Adding shrapnel such as nails and broken pottery pieces is optional, but recommended if you wanted a bigger killzone. Then you cover the top with your ideal stopper; just make sure you made a hole so that you can stick the fuse into the pipe. The string must act as a cap too; else the mixture will leak and might be triggered by outside environment. You must exercise extreme caution when making and using these weapons as the unpredictable chemical reactivity has a high cost in exchange for a moment of clumsiness.

I don't have pipes, nor do they make chemical fertilizer. I have to improvise. I use a pair of cheap bag that they used to hold gold coins as my bomb case. The bag was surprisingly sturdy despite the price, which makes it even better. I use black powder (Charcoal, sulphur, saltpetre) as my explosive. I use the shit I found on the street (stones, sticks, some odd metal bits) as improvised shrapnel. For the fuse, I bought a piece of cotton handkerchief that I'll unravel string by string. The string then I'll douse in combination of water and sulphur. I douse the bag in water in hopes that it would be harder for it to accidentally trigger (I douse it before I pour the mixture in!)

Molotov is simple; just buy me a good bottle of cheap whisky and stuff it with some extra handkerchief I bought.

The blacksmith is wearing complete set of clothing, much to my surprise. To think that a person would've worn nothing despite its occupation would've justified his nakedness. Thanks to him, I have newfound respect for blacksmith worldwide.

He says that this place was a mining town actually, before making a living in…even he doesn't know what they did for a living. He says that their mine has the best iron ore in the continent, and he has the skill to complement the metal quality. Sadly, it was filled to the brim with monsters and such. I have to be really strong to survive an encounter with them.

I really have to agree; it means I have to fight them without guns. Volatile gases such as methane are quite common in mines and such, and a spark from a gun can blow the place to smithereens, including me as well. Even if I construct an airgun the bullet ricochet would've generated a spark that can still ignite the explosives stored in such mines.

The only way I can survive is through hand-to-hand combat, but I'll stand no chance against enemy thrice my height.

He told me something else that I am really interested in; the different effects on synthesizing weapons with different elements. Wind element generally increases speed, as the wind boosted the mechanical part and the speed of the projectile once shot. If it was used on melee weapon, it will create a gust of wind that allows the user to strike faster and harder. In short, wind means speed.

Fire does what it says; it imbues the power of fire onto any form of weaponries or projectile. Blade will be doused in eternal flame; bullets will leave a scorching mark on the opponent, sometimes triggering a fire if they are susceptible to flame.

Lightning is also straightforward; it imbues the weapons or projectile a certain amount of electricity that can induce substantial shock once the weapon got in contact with conductive material. Very useful if your enemy decides to hide in a pool of water.

Dark magic works a little bit like poison, except it cannot be healed unless using holy items. They are the dark part of a Ying-Yang relationship between Dark and Holy Magic. Holy magic usually heals, and when they decides to hurt you, burns you with intense heat of the light. The holy light is effective against Dark Magic, and vice versa. Imbuing the weapon with these properties did nothing except adding a little bit of holy or dark into your weapon.

Water… I don't know what it supposed to do. He says that it will give the weapon the essence of water. What does the essence does actually? Turns the weapon into water? How was that helpful? Despite his teaching, I still don't understand what it does. Why do you want to make your weapon literally harmless when you can make it even more powerful?

Earth on the other hand, just gives extra weight on the weapon as well as durability. In short, it turns your weapon into a glorified war hammer if you want to. It would be useful as a shield, but what does a blunt knife can do actually?

Crystal imbues the weapon a certain properties of crystal, which means that it became a very good conductor of magical properties. Any spells casted by such weapons are much easier and stronger when used. Sounds fun.

There is much other type that would take me days to actually describe their properties. It was very interesting to listen too. There was this imbuement called Death, which increases the chance of Instant Death on any creature you'll fight with. How? Maaaaggggicccccc….

That also puts me on a dilemma; what imbuement do I want for my rifle and guns? Should I make them a flaming weapon of death and destruction? Or should I go for the wind, which turns my rifle into something akin to a semi-auto? Or maybe I should choose Aqua and see what happens?

What about my outfit, should I reinforce them with something? Kevlar, nylon and hard plastic mixture serves me well for years. Should I add something to increase my survival? Should I add more defence by using Earth, or should I increase my speed with Wind? And if so, what would happen if I imbue my armour with flames? Will it burn away my body, or would it help me defeat my opponent?

He told me that I can get some good iron ore up near the mines east of the village, just a half hour journey on foot. The mine is infested with monster girls and I should not proceed without help. But he says that I'll be fine because he says that I look strong enough to handle the enemy inside. Yeah, thanks for the confident boost buddy.

Truth to be told, I do need those metals. Not for bullets or so, but for component to make weapons. My guns and armour needs replacement if broken, which can happen considering the strength of the Girls I've fought before. Plus, I want to make a proper pipe bomb for my adventure later on.

Guess that's settled in then; Iliasburg shall be my ammo depot, while Pornof shall be my equipment storage. And with the power of Harpy feather, I can replenish my equipment when needed.

Before I write the account of me descending into the jaw of hell, let me tell you what happened during my journey toward Pornof. It's one hell of an adventure.

We were moving at a normal pace, just around 20 km/h along the road. It was a beautiful day devoid of worries. The sky was clear, but it has a few white fluffy clouds that provide shades when the day was too hot to handle. The sun was shining, but not too painful as to make it uncomfortable. The grass was green and shone under the benevolent sun's gaze. The evening breeze cools our brows when we start to feel some heat. As to quote my cabby's word; 'Ilias is in our favour'

What happened next? Oh nothing, just a simple raid orchestrated by Centaur Girls and Bunny Girls.

They come at our west and quickly surround us. Three girls at the rear and 4 girls at each side, left to right. I inspected the girls who were attacking us. It consisted of a centaur girl as the ride. She would be wearing a pair of shirt that bulges out due to their massive cleavage. Their upper body was coated in sheen of sweat as they tries to keep up with our own horses. Their usually blonde hair was tied in a ponytail as to not blind her rider. She carries a simple spear in her arm to skewer us if needed.

Their rider was the same Bunny Girl that I fought off before, which I am not happy to see again. They are straddling at the back of their horses like a champion. While their ride was busy trying to play catch up the rider was armed with bow and arrows to rain hellstorm on me and my driver.

Stopping would be a horrible idea, and I knew we can't escape. Gritting my teeth I raised my rifle to start the combat.

It was a wild-west shootout, with me as Billy the Kid on top of a horse drawn carriage shooting down the Indian who was attacking the cargo. Their aim was pretty good despite the speed of our race. If it was not for us fleeing I have no doubt that they can shoot us down like fish in a barrel.

I sustained several hits at my body, which I was thankful for my armour to block them arrows from going in too deep. I pop open a jar filled with Ilias Herb and used them to heal me constantly during the battle. I also have to duck between the crates to protect myself from the arrows. In return, I let them have a taste of my rifle round.

The clap of thunder that accompanies each shot shook the nerves of my attacker, as some of my attacker has resorted to firing blindly in favour of faster firing rate. They were quickly taken down as I shot the Centaur underneath them. It worked in my favour as some of them visibly pale as their comrade was taken down one at a time.

There were several girls who are not fazed by this, which I assume they were a veteran in hunting down creature such as I. They still let loose quite a few arrow at me before they too, has to die. My Karabiner was a very reliable and rugged weapon, and it has taken down many enemies during the skirmish. By the time they retreated, I have bagged at least 6 of them.

What? This is not Hollywood where I can take down 6 in one shot. Do you know how hard it was to aim on a moving target, especially on a moving vehicle? Taking down six was an achievement by itself. Any proper shooter will know how hard it is to shoot when moving fast, especially when you are under attack.

I did not escape the battle unscathed; my body were a veritable pincushion at the end of the trip. It was only with the help of the herbs that I somehow survived that encounter. The driver helped me to pull out any remaining arrows stuck in my body. I felt like some kind of acupuncture apprentice. At least I don't need to pay for all that bullcrap.

But this is the part where shit gets real. Once we believe they have scurried away for real we turned back to collect the money they dropped as it was known that they'll drop item once defeated. I followed with a heavy heart, still hung up that this is pure robbery in a nutshell.

Our greed was anticipated, and we were again attacked. This time by a group of Orcs. The Orcs is not the green-skinned muscly brute I always knew; they have uncanny resemblance of an extremely voluptuous woman. The only thing that says that they're monster girls is the long floppy pink ears that flop at the side of their head. While they are all naked savages, they carries large wooden club. I don't know why they would be naked, but I know that if they wore no outfit, it means that their body was strong enough to handle anything without armour.

I was right. The large calibre bullets make them bleed like any bullet will and they fall properly like anybody being hit by a high-powered sniper rifle does. But damn they're strong. Every slam they made quakes the ground underneath my feet and I have to pull out my pistol just to increase my killing rate.

How a Monster Girl's death does looks like? They just vanished in a bright light which materialised from their chest which will engulf their body. The light then subsides, leaving behind a pile of ashes with certain items and gold which the victor can use as they please.

They are strong, but they are still human size. A little basic military hand-to-hand technique does wonder against their heavy-handed attack. Most of their attack was fast and hard-hitting, but they cannot control the momentum of their attack once it was let loose. Just ducking underneath a blow is enough for me to deliver a good counter strike. I like the good old uppercut, boggles their brain like no tomorrow and stun them like crazy. If they are unlucky they might end up losing their tongue!

The driver was a good fighter, he pulls out his sword and shield and stand his ground like a warrior, his eyes determined to fight. I admit; I was impressed by his willingness to fight despite the knowledge that merchants are not that good in combat. He was much more beat up than I did, but he fought, and that is enough to warrant my respect.

That's how I manage to scrounge up more money for my travel expense. I scooped the pile of gold from the pile of my slain enemy dust. Fucked up no?

Anyway, that's why I accepted the blacksmith proposal easily. I have the money to craft much better bomb than I have. I won't be going until my bag of explosive was ready. While using a bomb in a mine means death, I believe I need some extra edge during my travel toward the mines as the experience of my journey toward Pornof has taught me.

It was a damn good decision I made that day. I was ambushed several times by different type of girls, some of them I cannot fight using my fist. Leech Girl is one of them. They are fucking disgusting as fuck, no matter what other says. She has the upper body of a naked lady, which has ram horns on top of her head. What makes them much more fucked up? They have the body of a leech, a disgusting black leech. It's even worse when their mouth was situated in front of her.

A gaping maw of flesh rimmed by black slimy tendrils, undulating and twirled in anticipation at its new target…

I threw my homemade bag grenades right inside that maw and blasted her to kingdom come. Ugh, I still can't get the picture out of my head…

Anyway, I finally reached the mines thanks to my buddy guide. He was an adventurer such as I, with scruffy brown hair that blow against the wind as the breeze picked up in our journey. Like any respectable warrior, he carries a simple straight sword which he kept at his back. He was also an experienced traveller. He knows a shortcut that brings us to the mine as fast as possible. We cut down 30 minutes from our original estimated time arrival thanks to him.

I reluctantly leave behind my bombs as I knew the danger of it possess. I don't like the idea of leaving my rifle behind, so I conceded with carrying my knife and pistol into the maw of dark and doom. I felt like a Tunnel Rat when I walked into the mine with my M1911 and KA-BAR knife in hand. Why? The Tunnel Rats are American soldiers who are tasked in flushing out the Vietnam in their own deep web of underground tunnel system during the Vietnam War. They are only armed with their primary service pistol; which is the M1911 Colt and combat knife. They are generally short in stature as to fit into any holes they can find. I'm around 5'3, very fucking short for a 20-something year old. That's not all; I'm crawling into a hole in a mountain, which is a cave armed with a single M1911.45 and a survival knife.

History repeats itself I believe.

It was a system of interconnected tunnels that has multiple dead end and ore deposits. I grabbed a single pickaxe just in case, as I believe I'll be using it in the future.

My greed became my downfall again as I encountered another chest. It was the same like I found back in the facility before I was catapulted here. My experience in the Cave of Trials doesn't help a little bit. By the time Andrew, my guide was yelling at me it was too late…

I remember a single, slimy tentacle just shoots out from the chest and engulfed my face. I was in a panic, so I quickly pulled out my knife and tries to swipe at the tentacle that was holding my face. I kicked, struggled, hell I even bit at the gag on my face in the bid of freedom. I regretted biting that thing; the fucker taste rancid!

Andrew came to my rescue again as he cut off the gag on my face with his sword. The thing screamed in annoyance as it conjures up another tentacle to swipe our ass. Damn that bitch hits hard! My head was still reeling when she was pummelling Andrew to the ground. My eyes then cleared to see the full view of my attacker.

It was a woman like always, but instead she was hiding in a chest that has it lids open wide like a pair of jaw ready to swallow its unlucky victim, complete with a set of sharp teeth that lines the lid of the chest. The content of the chest beside the woman was a pool of syrupy green goo that bubbles nastily. Several tentacles sprouted from the bubbly goo. I really regretted leaving behind my bombs…

The woman was a simple Japanese woman with straight black hair from her head, unlike others she was clothed in a simple black long-sleeved shirt and she was flat, like around A cup at least. Her tongue was long and forked like a snake, dribbles of saliva droops from said tongue as she anticipated at her new meal.

I don't want to be a meal, and I don't want to leave Andrew behind…

I quickly sprinted toward the biggest weapon I can see; the large pickaxe I picked up earlier. The woman notices too; she conjures up a pair of tentacles too intercept me, but I was faster. I jumped over her tentacles and slammed the pick at her appendages, forcing her to drop Andrews out of sheer pain.

Ignoring her ear-splitting screech, I quickly threw the weapon at her face, stunning the woman mid-screech. While she was dazed, I cover a lot of ground and already reached her within my grasp.

Speed is key; and any street fighter or military personnel would say, hit hard and fast, lest they recover and you get hit instead.

She struck out with her left fist which struck my chest. Using the momentum, I swung my right fist in a devastating right hook on her temple, stunning her again thanks to my padded fingerless glove. I punched her over and over again, not letting her recover.

She became desperate and struck out with her tentacles. This time Andrew came to my rescue. He swung his sword and hacked any tentacles that try to stop my barrage of fist and elbow. Her face became a veritable mass of black and blue by the time I decided to finish her off.

Finally, I slammed her face downward, smashing her face at the edge of her treasure chest. Not waiting around, I put my pistol at her nape of the neck and fired every bullet in my magazine, killing her off for good. I slammed the lid shut for good measure.

The goo and the woman who inhabits the chest disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind an empty chest containing a pile of ash and gold. I was surprised by how much money she left behind. 500 gold! I split the gold in half with Andrew as we both fought valiantly. I also found a stone of Wind, which he says that I can use to imbue my weapon with the power of wind. I like it!

He then showed me a staircase that will brings me deeper into the cave system. He said that he wants to rest, as he bears the brunt of the Mimic's abuse. I gave him a hug of luck, telling him that I'll be fine and hope he will be fine too. Call me gay all you like, but unless you have been in the battlefield you won't understand the bond a warrior shares among his friend.

The bond between men…that's why I am still hunting down Hito. He was one of my travel comrades. We both climb the same mountain, swum through the same river, hell we even fought our way out from a weak gang in a crack den somewhere in Miami. We fought, bled and watch each other's back for a long time. That creates a bond that is as hard as a fucking iron crowbar. Just knowing that somebody have your back means a lot to me.

Hito…I'm really sorry for my mistake. I was taking the lead back there. If I just use my rifle, just use my pistol, none of this might happen…

Mourning him now would serve nothing, only determination and strength can help me now.

Back to topic, I descended into the second layer of the mine. It was no different than the first layer, a suffocating series of stifling small hallways with different outcome. After the encounter with the mimics earlier on I simply ignored the other chest. Won't fool me twice biatch!

I don't know why, but I felt a certain overpowering fear despite my stout heart telling me it's nothing. The air felt heavy with anticipation, the smell of sweat, dust and a little bit of methane swirls around and mixes into a blanket of gaseous paranoia. The small handheld flashlight on my hand throws a bright light at the direction I'm pointing at, illuminating the cold granite walls that heightened my sense of claustrophobia and paranoia.

What about the part that was not illuminated? There could be tons of enemies or monsters hiding in the darkness, waiting for me to stumble into their trap. I don't have much room to manoeuvre, and I'm afraid to fire my weapon as I don't know where the methane and sulphur reservoir at. Hell, I don't even know if there was any poisonous gas down here! I read this thing a lot back in my employer's library; miners usually carry canary into the mineshaft as a mean of detection. If the bird sings, then it means the gas is near and they must run away. I don't have a canary, and I know that gas is not easily visible.

That's why I was hyperventilating when I heard some distance noises. Whispers, screams, metallic clangs…

It took me every strength I never thought I had before to not run and scream like an idiot. Instead, I focused on such noise. Noise leads to cause, and cause means that somebody was doing some kinky shit somewhere nearby. I closed my eyes and liberated my mind. In just a few seconds my ears became sharper, as well as all my senses.

The noises are distant and they fade quickly as it came, but I manage to overhear a few word. I don't know if it means anything, but I'll write it down here for anybody who stumbles upon this journal later on.

Luka…Alice…Gale Thrust…Let…Sake

That's it. I don't know what happened, but I don't like it.

Moving on, I decided to abandon my search for the metal ore. If what I heard earlier is nothing but illusion, then I better get the fuck out. What I smell is poison, and I have to get out before I hallucinate more…

Well lo and behold! I found a pile of metal ore! How? Simple, I was retracing my step when suddenly I realized that I'm lost. Scared for my life, I quickly retraced my step in hope that I found my old path. It didn't. What I found is just a pile of metal ore, just waiting to be grabbed. The metal ore has quite a substantial amount of it taken away, but I have just enough plastic bags to carry what I need just to get out.

Damn, they're fucking heavy even in powder form. Combined with the fact that I'm hopelessly lost, I felt a certain fear that weigh down on my neck much heavier than the bags of iron I'm carrying now.

Fortunately, I stumble upon a girl knocked unconscious. She has a long mop of curly yellow hair which frames her childish visage. She wore a pair of black single and shorts. The part that made it different is that the rims of the neck and shoulder holes were adorned by green furry wools. She also wears a pair of furred stocking as well to match her outfit. She has a pair of goat's horn, which sits snugly on top of her head. She has the body stature of a teenage girl who just a year after hitting puberty.

She was also unconscious and not breathing, which is a cause of alarm. Using my knowledge of CPR, I performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as best as I can. All the while ignoring how good she tastes in my mouth.

I repeated the move until suddenly; I felt certain suction upon my lips. She was awake at last, and she mistakes my attempt of saving her lives as an invitation for a kiss!

She was a masterful kisser, her tongue slips into mine as she put her hand behind my head to deepen the kiss. She taste sweet and sour, like ripe apples. I felt a certain intoxicating sensation as her saliva mixes with mine. I am tempted to let her kiss brings me toward heaven…

But I am an honourable man, and I shall not allow a simple kiss to melt my iron heart!

I quickly pushed her away despite her annoyance. She was a little bit groggy, yet she's still operational. She stumbles toward my direction as she tries another attempt for a kiss. I dodged her clumsy attempt to ask her why she was down here.

She said that she was bored, so she just wanders down here out of pure drunken whim. She even whipped out a small bottle of sake from her pants to my horror, which she swallowed its content with bliss. Oh god, how am I supposed to escape if the only lead I have is a hopeless drunk?

She smiled cutely and replied with a simple string she produced from her pocket. A Thread of Guidance? How was that helpful? How can a simple thread help me if it was not tethered to the entrance for me to follow?

The last of my pessimism disappeared as I grabbed the string and willed myself toward the entrance, like what I did with a Harpy Feather. In a flash, I felt a certain pull toward a direction. Taking my advice at face value, I followed my instinct's direction.

It FUCKING WORK. I am just blindly walking. I don't know the place nor do I know the exit, but I have a strong feeling at a certain pathway, so I followed it. I found myself at the same staircase that I left Andrew behind! OPEN MIND ALEX, OPEN FUCKING MIND!

I was too late, Andrew got fucked.

It was one of the Bunny girls, her cute face scrunched up in pleasure as Andrew pushed his hip at her own back and forth like a well-oiled piston. While the skimpy outfit the bunny wore gave no problem for him to shove his meat into her tunnel, Andrew has to discard his pants somewhere at the corner of his little alcove, his bare back greets me as I seriously contemplated on kicking it as hard as possible.

I knew it was futile to do anything as I saw the tell-tale white milk on the woman's vagina. Dammit Andrew, after all we been through you just have to give in just like that!?

Turns out, this is what Andrew is searching for, a proper Monster girl to be his wife. He don't want any of those tentacle monster or even the furry one, he thought they are terrifying like I did. He wants a Monster Girls who are hot as fuck, yet looks like Human the most. Bunny Girls fit the description to the tee.

I am saddened at the sorry sight of my fellow traveller, but this is what he wants, and I already have what I came for. Reluctantly, I waved him goodbye as I slowly walks away from his bare back, clenching my teeth as his roar of pleasure rocks the cave.

I will never forget his name. Andrew, I'll see you on your wedding day…

Or not.

Something else caught my attention after the cave. This time, it was a little Dog Girl. It was the same Dog Girl I encountered back in cave of Trials, the cute one whom I put in a chokehold before?

She was scared shitless, her purple eyes streamed with tears as she hid behind me. Her clothes were torn in multiple places, indicating a rough mishandling of this poor creature. I felt a certain desire to provide protection as I heard a loud galloping coming at me with speed.

It was a group of 4 men on horseback; their lust-filled eyes filled my own heart with anger by the way of their manners toward the child at my back. One at the back was armed with a short bow, its arrow pointed at me in attempt of intimidation. The one next to him was a youth in priest outfit, albeit his eyes betray his true intention. He carries a simple wooden staff like any monk does. The one at the front was a pair of well-armoured warrior; each carries a long sword and a heater shield for combat.

They desire the girl behind me, and say that they'll pay good money if I hand her over. If not…Well, the first one with a Barbute helmet dismounted from his horse and pointed his sword at my throat, beckoning to my wallet with the said sword. With such invitation how could I not refuse?

I swiped the sword aside with my palm and stabbed him with my knife at the other hand. Using his body as a shield, I quickly draw my pistol out and shot the bowman and the priest at their centre mass. They fell down like sack of stones from their mount as their strength seeps out from the hole in their chest. The only reason the last warrior was still alive was because I ran out of ammo in my current magazine. But he can't do much anyway; he was thrown from his steed as his horse bucked out from the sudden gunshot from my pistol.

He picked himself up from the ground and charged at me in desperation. Fear evident in his visage as he tries to skewer me like a pincushion. He is one of the smarter one, as he raised his shield to protect his chest.

Reloading is out of the question; therefor I threw the handgun at his shield in order to slow him down. The loud clang make him visibly flinch, allowing me to roll underneath his swing. In response I equipped my rifle as I finished my roll and fired a single round onto his back; killing him effectively. Maybe next time he would not neglect buying spine armour…

The little girl's name was Richo and she was one of the targets of this syndicate. She said that her friends were captured and were hold up somewhere near the mountain range and I am by far the only one capable of fighting them as it is. She said that I should hurry, as even she doesn't know their fate.

Her words bring fresh rage into my heart. How dare them! I'll fucking tear them a new asshole even if it means burning down the whole town of Pornof by myself!

I am a bit melodramatic here. I can't burn the whole town down for what a minority did. The majority is not responsible for the action of the extreme minority. I am not some asshole American president that kept fucking things up, I am an explorer, and I am much smarter than that!

The little girl was wearing tattered garment, and that was something I can remedy. I pulled out the child clothing intended for Vanilla earlier in hope of it fits her small frame. It was a bit loose, but it'll do for now. I felt a genuine happiness as she hugged me in thanks.

I knew that leaving her behind would be a bad idea, so I let her hug me as I used the Harpy feather to teleport us back to Pornof, specifically the blacksmith himself.

I saw the blacksmith was busy repairing a sword for a young person. I knew that it's rude to just barge in, so I just waited outside the window as he pummels the sword mercilessly with his hammer. To my surprise I saw Papi among his group, watching intently as she watches the blacksmith do his magic.

The hero was a young youth barely above eighteen; hell he looks like he was still twelve years old. He has a light purple hair with a pair of intelligent blue eyes. He has a pale white skin, which happens if you stay indoors for long. If he was an avid traveller, he would have tan skin due to the exposure to sun like mine. He wore not a single piece of armour, relying on a simple sword as his protection. His glove was worn and scarred, a tell-tale sign of heavy use. He also wears a simple red cape around his neck to protect him from the element.

I wanted to have a word with Papi, but something else got my attention.

Richo was tugging at my sleeve, suddenly afraid of the situation. She was a bit afraid when she appears beside me in Pornof, but her fear intensifies as such out of the blue. I quickly picked her up and hurried toward the back of the shop in hope of whatever the thing that spooked Richo doesn't see us.

It didn't work. I found myself trapped at a dead end. In desperation, I quickly reloaded my pistol and rifle, ready to kill the whole town if I had to.

The stalker was an old man in a bright blue suit, accompanied by a pair of heavily armoured men. He says that he got an eye for Richo earlier on, and he wished to know more about that girl. Do you actually think I would fall for that? That's a tell-tale sign of a paedophile right there. And you know what I do to paedophile?

I kill them.

Except I don't get the chance.

I raised my rifle and pulled the trigger. Instead of feeling the satisfying kick of my antique German rifle I felt myself being pulled into an abyss. It felt terrible, like I was sucked into the neverending abyss of the facility many days earlier.

I screamed as I loudly as I can, but the sound never reached anybody's ear. The scream should've been spread far and away as the vibration in the air penetrates through the ether and pierces into anybody who was unlucky enough to hear my girly scream...

But there was no vibration,

There was no sound,

There was nothing that can hear my scream.

The scream ends up lost in a vast expense of dark blue that dominate my vision. My body was falling, yet I felt no sensation. My head was clear, but there was nothing to see at. It was pure nothingness.

It was terrifying. Where's Richo? Where the hell am I? Why am I here? How could this happen? Somebody please help me! It's scary! I can't see anything! I can't hear anything! I can't feel anything! Nirvana sucks ass! Enlightenment is painful! Please stop!

I can breathe, but I am drowning.

I can see, but I am blind.

I can hear, but I am deaf.

I am free, yet I am caged.

What the fuck happened?

I was in this state for how long, a minute or so? I don't know, but I fucking hate it.

Then out of nowhere, a woman appeared. She was wearing a set of furry white bikini. She also wears a large white magician cape around her neck. I would fucking love to pull that thing around and choke her to death with it. She also wears a white top hat on top of her short blue hair. Her cape was lined with golden zippers despite it does not contain any pockets. Her mischievous red eyes stared into my own as she toys with my rifle.

She said that she was a White Rabbit, and it's her job to lead the current Alice around. The Tartarus rift was an unstable portal between dimension and some unforeseen consequences can happen when it remains open. I am one of them. She said that the timeline is fucked as it is, and having me interrupting the hero's flow in the story would fuck everything up, or in her word creates a paradox that in turn creates chaos that in turns create destruction.

Of course I was fucking pissed. Why the hell that dude was so important anyway? I just wanna go home with my buddy! Why can't this all be simple? Why did she save that old man from my bullet? And most importantly, where the fuck is Hito?!

She smiled at my outburst. She said that the hero Luka was a very important person in this timeline and I must not fuck around with the world too much else shit might get wack soon. Plus, she said that I need to get my hands off Pornof as much as possible, lest I destroy the whole village with impunity. She said I've done so in some alternate universe, creating a very huge paradox in said universe. How? With bullets and flame bomb I burned the whole place down and gunned down everybody trying to stop me. She has to do some serious legwork in order for the world to not be completely fucked up. She said it was my fault that La Croix got way too much shit to handle in his dimension. Who the fuck is La Croix?

She told me that I cannot return to my home in Japan as I have a role in this world's history, albeit a small one. Not until Chapter two I believe. She said I'll be the hero's companion, alongside Hito. She also said that Hito would look way different later on.

That caught my attention. Chapter two? Hero's companion? Hito would look different? How does anything she said made any fucking sense?

In reply, she said that I am not allowed to mess around with Luka's adventure for now, so she'll give me a new objective that would take me days to achieve. Before I could ask another question, my vision cleared, my breath became easy and reality kicks in.

I am at the same place I am before, standing at a dead end in an alley between a wall and the blacksmith's shop. The old man was not there, yet that does not concern me the slightest. Where is Richo?

 _Sup Alex Armin! It's me, sorry I can't chat long but I believe that something else would be much of a pressing issue for you other than finding your friend as it is._

 _You see, while you were gone, those goons kidnapped Richo and placed her somewhere at their prison camp up the mountain where you got those metal ore. Don't worry; they won't ship them until what? Three days later?_

 _Alex, you must be wondering. Why? Why somebody would traffic Monster Girls? Why there's even a demand for it? What kind of organization that decides it's a good idea to sell Monster Girls as sex slave?_

 _Let me tell you why buddy, it's because they are the ultimate sex slave anybody can have. They are the cutest and the best on the bed. Their varied appearance caters to every taste available, and the best of all, you can keep them forever because their growth rate was slow as fuck! Want a child loli, but don't want her to grow up? Monster Girls got ya covered!_

 _I knew some people would be pissed at this especially you. I just knew that you are the type that won't turn a blind eye at this. But remember, they thrive on semen. Just gave them a good supply of semen and they won't mind. Hell, some even stayed with their master! Why bother hunting down other human and risk getting killed, when you already have a steady supply of semen?_

 _Now, now, I need you to remember; not every syndicate out there is illegal. Some are what you call a dating service, allowing a human to find his soul mate with any willing monsters through legal means. It was taboo many years ago, but Ilias is no longer watching them, so it's fine! Just make sure you find the right one to kill m'kay?_

 _The coordinate on your map is 460 easts, 300 north and just above the Pornof mines. I already marked the coordinate on your map already._

 _They won't ship Richo until 3 days later, but I'll suggest you gear up as fast as you can and buy something that deflects magic. Don't underestimate them. Good luck!_

This is what she wrote on my journal. What the fuck?! Not only you let Richo get kidnapped, you even have the gall to say that I cannot explore as I please until this Luka has done his mission?!

Well fuck you Rabbit bitch! I don't know who you work for, or what you stand for. But I won't let you get in my way! I'll explore and go home, even if it means that fucker must die!

Anyway, I can't leave her behind. She was under my protection dammit!

Anyway, it was night when that Rabbit bitch left me behind. I don't want to go out there alone in the dark. Plus, I did say that I'll finish an entry when the night starts. So what did I do?

Simple, I just pay a little tab at the local inn and sleep my problem away. I am writing this in my bunk, which is more like a cheap room where prostitutes used to bring their customer in, complete with the smell of cum on the green bed sheet. It wasn't even a complete bed; it was just a simple sleeping mat on the floor with a simple pillow and blanket to cover my body. The wooden walls were cracked and mouldy, plus there was even a simple glory hole attached to a wall to my left. I don't know who's the one operating the hole, nor do I want to try it out. Motherfucker might have STDs for all I know.

If the rabbit was right, Richo and others would still be on the mountain tomorrow. I still have time to prepare for an assault. I'll get the gear first early in the morning.

To be fair, I kind of understand why there would be a MG-trafficking business actually. You see, they are actually much prettier than any normal human woman ever was. No human female can ever top any Monster Girls in the beauty department, especially the body and sex department. Sex sells, and Monster Girls are the best kind available. Like drugs, the more potent and higher the demand is, the higher the price market would be.

Good night journal and I'll see you tomorrow if I'm still alive…


	6. Writer's notice

Sup.

Sorry about not uploading much. I never expected this story of mine to blow up this much. I'm happy that every single of you actually takes time to read my stories, let alone favourite and follows it.

It warms my heart, and it gave me fuel to keep on fighting. Thank you.

Don't expect me to post it regularly though, writer block is the hardest block to smash, even if you are armed with TNT and diamond pickaxe. Plus, my internet is shit and I cannot access for many days. The only reason I manage to post this is because I am mooching off my father's workplace internet. Yup, I'm still an edgy teenage who lives in his mom's basement.

I don't mind being called that, at least I still have my parents.

Plus, life is a bitch and it will always kick you in the dick whenever you try to be a better person. the only way we can be better if we kick life back in the face twice harder.

I will write more, but don't expect me to write it regularly.

Once again, thanks for liking this so far! Thank you for your cooperation. meanwhile, check out my other stories! Some of them might not be good, but that's a sign that I'm a human being, I made mistake, and I acknowledge it.

mistakes is good, as through only pain we can learn to appreciate what we have.

Looks like my time is up, my dad's boss just noticed an urchin leeching off his internet line.

Bye

Sincerely, Alex Armin


	7. Chapter 7

**Never fucking mind then.**

 **A buddy of mine finally found a way for me to get over this goddamn problem.**

 **Now all I need to handle now is the GODDAMN WRITER BLOCK.**

 **Anyway, here's the new chapter to commemorate my return! YAY!**

14xx/5/9

9th days since arrival…

I woke up early this morning, way too early.

The sun just raised on the horizon, its yellow eye peeked from the long line of green plains as the world starts to wake up slowly yet surely. The smell of cum was still prevalent, yet I felt a certain freshness long since unheard ever since I step a foot in this wretched land.

The birds are singing; the flowers are also blooming. And somewhere up in the mountain, a little girl is yelling my name in desperation. Others cannot hear the scream, but I clearly heard her throughout the night. I cannot wait any longer, yet I cannot rush in underpowered and underequipped.

I packed my item back into my bag, which is quite easy considering most of my stuff was already inside. A simple meal from my MRE fills my stomach quite well for the duration. After witnessing and hearing the threat posed against me I cannot afford to leave anything behind.

My bag was heavy with iron powder, and I have just the right person to ask for…

I cannot trust myself to stay in Pornof, not after the cold-blooded murder of one of their members by my hand yesterday.

Before I leave Pornof I decided to buy quite a lot of black powder compound for my grenades as well as some other chemicals to make napalm and flashbang. I also bought some powder to make some smoke bomb too; I need all the edge I can get.

Unfortunately, they sell nothing that can deflect magic; therefor I have to search it somewhere else. The blacksmith was not helpful; he said that he knows nothing about such item. He says it would be much better to ask a much more magic-oriented blacksmith.

With all that said and done, I bid farewell to the folks of the shops and warped toward the blacksmith at Iliasburg as I believe that he has much more proficiency in heavy metal than a small fairy. Again, I still cannot remove the tiny pessimism in my mind despite seeing Logic made huge backflip and raped the arse of improbability to create tiny baby Chaos and Insanity in the past eight days.

I asked of him to create me a simple set of pipe bombs for me to craft bomb with. A simple cylindrical tube with a stopper as my fragmentation grenades. For the flashbang, I told him to make the same design, except the cylinder has several holes lined at the side in linear design, which he would cover with any kind of linen. This way the flashbang can detonate and blind people, except without any potential fragmentation from bursting the pipe itself. Napalm and smoke bombs would use the same design too. I also ordered quite a substantial amount of ammunition for my future combat.

No such luck in Iliasburg; no item can help me to deflect magic. Plus, I don't want to buy some expensive jewellery I potentially don't need. Iron gauntlet is way too heavy for me to use. I don't need any cloak or cape at all. There's a huge chance that some asshole would trip on it, or even choke me with it.

I would be that asshole that trips on his own cape.

Using Harpy feather, I teleported to Happy village to ask the fairy. She knew a lot about magic!

She did. She decides to imbue my hoodie with the power to deflect magic. She said that it would only works around 50 per cent of the time, like a 50-50 chance of me dying because the hoodie thought it would be a good time to just accept the magic damage like a tool.

While my motto said that I should accept this as a norm, I still cannot put my faith toward magic. Even though my employer taught me some back in my home I still trust machinery over transient faith.

I can use basic magic, but I still trust bullets more than a fireball.

Anyway, that should cover my magic deflecting equipment requirement. I believe the hideout would contain several spellcaster, hence the reason to try to counter their attack. I love to see them try to outdodge a bullet travelling around 600RPM with their magical ability. Or maybe they are like the Youkai's at home, which dodging magical bullets are the norm of the land.

My bullets are not magical, and they are invisible.

Falls come after pride, so I would not take my chance.

Anywhoo, waiting for the blacksmith to complete my product would take a long time, so I'll do what I do best in the meantime, explore.

I am a bit sick of backtracking, but it cannot be helped. Using my Harpy feather, I teleported back to the mines and explore the area around the enemy base. From what I gather from my investigation, it was a well-hidden base deep underground with its entrance hidden by several clump of rocks and bushes. Compare this against the harsh rocky environment of the mountain; one would require some serious luck or guidance to find this entrance by chance.

The mountain was a harsh, arid land with steep mesa and sharp, craggy stones that tower above many other different stone. Hidden behind every stone, there's a few plant that took shelter against the relentless sun. Their leaves sway unnaturally despite having no gust of wind at all. Taking heed on an advice I heard from a merchant back in Iliasville, I leave them be.

Hidden behind a simple rock and being a few kilometres away, I used my sniper rifle to observe the enemy pattern and movement. I choose s pot where two large rocks were leaning onto each other, creating a makeshift roof. Another plant was at the mouth of the cave, allowing me to hide myself behind the bush. The plant was uncooperative, swaying all by itself despite the element. In the end I just collected a few dead bush and stones to mask my presence. The position is about 6 meters higher than their position, allowing me to have a bird's eye view of the place.

So far, nobody actually went out or into the cave at all. Being a sniper requires an essence of patience and rigid concentration. One wrong move and I'm toast.

Anyway, I have been observing the damn cave for 3 HOURS straight. That was enough to strain my mind as it is. Plus, I also need to craft my bombs for the assault tonight. So I end my vigil for the day and returned to Iliasburg for ammo and bombs.

Performing reconnaissance mission, crafting bombs, planning assault…Who the hell am I? An explorer or fucking John Rambo?

After collecting my supply of bomb casing I decided to return to my sniper spot back at the mountain. It was a good spot to wait as my chemicals starts to set in as I mixed them together inside a simple pipe bomb. I don't need to add anything to my fragmentation bomb, as the fragment from the casing is enough to kill as the bomb explode. I just need to be mindful of shrapnel. I decided to make only 2 napalms, as it would be stupid to make an inextinguishable flame inside a fucking cave. Logic people, LOGIC.

All and all, I make 4 frag grenades, 4 flashbang and 2 napalms for my assault tonight. I also labelled the pipes by wrapping a piece of coloured cloth on each bomb. White for flashbang, red for napalms and nothing for good old fraggy.

Napalm is one hell of a synthetic firebomb, it sticks on your skin and won't come off until you die. The weapon was a favourite shock and awe incendiary weapon when during the Second World War. If you reader skipped your history class (or you are from an alternate universe where Hitler never existed) it is a war of global scale that involves every nation in the world against each other. As the name suggest, it has happened once. Before, the first world war happened because a rebel from a gang called the Black Hand decided to assassinate the Archduke of Austria and succeeded when his driver make a fucking mistake of taking the wrong turn at the wrong street at the wrong time. Just after the shot was taken, everything falls apart like dominos. One country declared war, and then they asked for their buddies to help them, increasing more participants in the huge conflict. Then the first one got spooked, and asked his buddy. His buddy helped, and then we got ourselves the major power of the world duking it out. Guess what? A Malay proverb once said that 'when two elephants fight, the frogs in the middle dies'. That fits the conflict very well. The other smaller nation has no part in the war, in the original insult, but their ally asked their help, and they were attacked, so they have no choice.

That's what happened when everybody was connected in a large spiderweb of international alliance; if one declares war, it means that they declared war to the whole world. Fucked up no?

And this is where it gets even worse; the First World War was described as one of the worst conflict in Human History, and it was even called the Great War to end every War. It didn't end anything. 21 years later, the Second World War happened, and shit hit the fan again. I didn't even remember the kill count of the First World War, except that it might be around 50 million casualties. And for what?

If you are reading this, I beseech you; do not declare war on whim, as the people under you would suffer. All that death, all that suffering can be averted if they worked harder on attaining peace. I know that war presents an instant chance of attaining glory or adventure. Believe me, there was none to be found here, except death and sorrow.

Why am I ranting about the World Wars?

Well, now you know how fucked up my world is. But if you scoffed at that number, I am sorry for your world state and hope that you can attain peace.

Anyway, napalm is a combination of gelling chemicals and gasoline. Back during the Second World War, they used synthetic rubber compound to make napalm fuel as the Japs has a monopoly on the natural rubber supply in Malaya, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. But here, rubber is numerous and they are only used on certain equipment. To my surprise, I found quite a few pine trees which I can extract natural latex from. As because collecting latex is an arduous and time-consuming job I only collected enough to make only two.

Now you know how to make explosive and napalms. Hurray for you!

All right, this is getting annoying. I gotta write it down or else it would consume my mind. I have several questions that need answers. Why am I here? What role did I play in this world? Where am I? Am I in a wholly different dimension than my home? And if so, can I go back? No, the better question is would THEY let me go back? Who are they? Why did they do this? What is so important about this hero 'Luka'?

Who the fuck is Luka?

That's the question I have been asking for a while. Who the hell is he? Why is he important? Why did he look so fucking young? Why did the Rabbit do everything in her power to keep me AWAY from him, not until the time is right? When will the time is right? Judging from what happened along my journey; I believe that I am close to encountering him multiple times.

The echo in Pornof mines. The glimpse of the hero in Pornof's blacksmith. The recruitment of the heavenly Bandits a few days after my first encounter with them. I am closer than I thought, and sooner or later, I'll catch up with him.

Here's the thing though, why would she STOP me from helping out? Judging from my experience, I would be a very good addition to the team. I can do a lot of things that can help a budding warrior like him. Wouldn't it be much more beneficial if I joined up?

And second, why is he important? And if he was that important, why did she ask ME, of all people to help? I mean, there should be like a few overpowered dudes in several different timelines, why would they ask a normal human explorer to help out in a world of magic and monsters? Won't Merlin do a better job than me? Or hell, maybe just grab Morgana and be done with it?

And here's the kicker, how did they find us? Is our destiny intertwined? Is it my destiny to fell down this rabbit hole? And if so, why am I chosen? Why a certain individuals are not allowed to die, yet the others are free game? And if so, who are the chosen one? Who are the one I'm allowed to kill, and the one I should protect?

Who will they deemed expendable? Who will be allowed to die, who will not be allowed to die?

That scares me. Why would a few people be too important to die? How can I know which is which? Why, why would they consider a group of men to be 'expendable' when the others are invaluable? The ability to choose the one who has to die and who can live…it scared me.

That's all for now. I'll write down another entry once I go in tonight. Happy hunting me.


	8. Chapter 8

I fucked up.

I fucked up so bad.

Because of me, I killed off several other innocent children.

Let me tell you what happened….

I decided that I need to go in around midnight, so that's what I did yesterday. Waiting was painful when you know that someone needs you, and she's waiting for you. Time felt like a scythe pendulum from the short story the Pit and the Pendulum. Every second, a little scythe is going lower and lower, just getting ready to cut me slowly as possible. Every second, the little scythe swings lower toward Richo. Every second, the scythe keep swinging lower, closing the gate of opportunity to rescue someone.

As my watch finally declares that it is midnight, I decided to move in. I have attached a pair of suppressors on my guns to suppress the noise, as the acoustic would've deafened me and anybody within earshot. Not that it matters anyway; suppressors only suppress the noise decibel to a manageable level, not completely render the gun silent. Even if by some kind of magical imbuement crap, then the mechanical sound of the gun is still audible.

But between a thundering bang and a loud sneeze, which one would you choose?

Anyway, the cave was guarded by a lone guard who is having some difficulty trying to stay awake. I lured him by making a noise at my hiding position, which I merrily used to put the guard to sleep in a chokehold. I took his trouser and threw it outside, giving him a much stronger psychological means of staying where he was.

Travelling through the maze of cave was a nerve-wracking experience for me. Every dead end spells doom for me, and every sound brings paranoia in my otherwise calm mind. But I persevere through all that. Somebody needs me, and it would be stupid for me to panic like some stupid victim in some slasher-horror movie. I mean seriously, what kind of idiot would fucking run in a deserted alleyway when they can use an open road, where there's a huge chance of somebody seeing you and maybe lend a help? Seriously though, how the hell did they manage to trip and break their ankle on a perfectly flat and hard surface when their pursuer was chasing them in a ridiculously impractical outfit?!

Anyway, keeping calm is my priority and I did it with a certain degree of success. That until I stumble upon the holding cell of the girls. There were several monster girls chained by their wrist, their eyes lit up with curiosity and hope as I examined their cell gate. A simple hacksaw can saw through this, but I don't have that.

Out of the blue, a heavily armoured man appeared behind me. He was covered from head to toe in heavy-looking black armour. Through the slit of his bucket helm I can see a pair of cruel eyes narrowing onto me. In his hand he carries a kite shield and a halberd, which is a relief as the suffocating space of the cave would've completely hinder his movement. He knew the polearm is useless, hence why he threw it at me and drew his dagger from his waist.

His friend is wearing a simple blue robe and an oversized wizard hat. He carries a simple staff, which glows yellow as he and the warrior were enveloped in a hue of holy light. The metal glowed yellow as the warrior beckoned me to make my move.

Not wanting to try my luck, I threw a flashbang into his face. He caught it with his hand, as if mocking me for trying to attack him with a simple tube. I grinned and turned around. A simple shock and a ringing noise in my ears tell me that the fool has got his face charred with flashbang.

Here's where magic decide to fuck me over. I swung my rifle around and fired a shot at the less armoured magician behind him. He fell down, not dead from the shot. How? Magic of course. But it helps the second one who was still staggered by the bomb, which the round pinged off the armour like nothing. The fuck? I pumped several more rounds in vain, but of course it does nothing.

The warrior manage to regain his bearing, his eyes stared at me with a certain glee. Quick as a lightning, he lunged toward me with his knife, which flashes silver in each swipe. The attack would've intimidated me if I cannot see the attack. After a few swing, I can see a pattern emerge from the attack. Left, right, up, stab, right, right, left down up and repeat.

While he punched the blade forward, I swung my fist underneath his chin, trying for an uppercut. Shit that hurt my finger. The fucker switched technique and tries for my throat. But there's something that he don't but I have; range. I jumped back and walked backward to keep my distance. The warrior was aggressive, trying to close the gap. Soon, my back hit the wall behind me. He lunged forward, wanting to finish me off. He lunged right into my rifle muzzle.

The bullet does not penetrate the chainmail underneath his armour, but the punch the bullet gave me was enough. I quickly changed my target and aimed for the head; the shot vibrates the inside of the helmet like crazy and disoriented the warrior.

The sound of battle attracted two more attackers, which was thankfully lightly armoured. Vaulting over the kneeling knight, I whipped out my knife and deal severe damage to their trachea and eyesocket. I quickly reloaded my pistols and shot the next 3 soldier coming in.

The armoured warrior has got his bearing back and he is pissed. But I am faster. I sprinted through the hallway, all the while gunning down several attackers along the way. I then got body-slammed by an unarmed man. He straddles on top of me, ready to administer a healthy series of blow to my face. Fortunately, I hooked my legs over his throat and pulled him down. Using the lever law to my advantage, I kept the force on the bastard's throat toward the ground, effectively locking him in place with our waist as the fulcrum and my leg as the load. Not wasting a moment, I quickly stabbed his groin and dismounted the person. His scream of agony was silenced by a simple knife to the throat.

I grinned as the same juggernaut that was hunting me appeared right at the corner. The lust of battle got into me, and my mind was set on killing mode.

The bastard may be bulletproof, but is he fireproof?

Like an idiot, he ran straight to the pipe with his shield up. Expecting another flashbang, he is not ready for a hard concussive force to blow him off his leg. Not wasting a moment, I threw the napalm grenade on top of his lying form, grinning as I watched him squirm and scream as he vainly tries to put out the sticky flame on his armour. Yep, just like Miami.

I then quickly jogged my way through the whole cave system, searching for survivors. When in Miami Mode, kill everything.

Miami Mode…You must be wondering, how the hell can I kill so many people, yet not feeling any form of distress, or some form of remorse? Someone who lives on the edge of life and death found a way to cope with their daily amount of stress. They have to, or else the stress will kill them faster than any bullet. Some might be way too traumatic for a man to handle, hence the reason why some soldiers got a severe cases of PTSD. Some might cope by indulging in some form of vices such as drinking, sex, anything to forget about their past. Me? Adrenaline is my drug of choice, and my mind was accustomed to the insanity of the world much faster than normal. Maybe because I might be insane? How can you justify a man who hunts down survivors like it's a game?

That's me. The way I cope during combat is that I thought of them as points for me to collect. The higher my points, the bigger my score is. Unfortunately, that means that in order for me to attain higher score, I have to chain 'combos' and find some creative way to kill my opponent. That means I became a much more reckless and berserk in order to attain that sweet, sweet 11x combo.

It was named Miami Mode as that was the only time I used that kind of recklessness in a fight or flight situation. It worked like a charm, anything that my hand can grab is a weapon, and anybody within my grasp is a victim. Like the one I met somewhere in a room. Bashed his face in with a scroll tube and finished the job with a stone plate he was using to eat his meal nearby. It was a state of mind, a certain mindset that was incorruptible and unbreakable.

But in that bloodlust, everybody is a victim, even the little ones.

I finally realized when I examined a single room. It was a big room, containing several beds hewn from the outcropping stone of the cave system. Hauntingly, each bed has a pair of shackles, in case their victim tries to escape. There were also several metal buckets, which is now covered in blood. Several torches illuminated the grisly scene in front of me.

Did I do that? Of course I did, with a well-placed frag grenade. Several men died due to the explosion, their face were a mess of red and gooey mush. So is their 4 child victim. They are shackled at the bedpost, unable to run away from their untimely death. What makes it even worse is that the place was filled with smoke thanks to an ill-placed barrel of oil that fuels the torches in and out of the caves. In my haste, I didn't notice that the one I threw the grenade in is not a sleeping quarter, but a storage room. In my haste, the one who didn't die by the explosion were murdered by the smoke.

I tried to save the one whom I thought was the least hurt of all. It was no use, their heartbeat was non-existent. I was surprised at first. I saw how a monster girl dies, how the hell did the little one still retains their corpse, yet the one I fought outside leave their ashes behind?

I frantically searched the store for the keys, only to return with nothing. The smoke was too thick, so I have to get out of that. Man, I really hate it when civilians get in the way. Maybe going full Miami Mode is a bad idea after all…

I found the key from the smouldering remains of the same hulking knight I fought first. He was still twitching, so I mercifully ended his life with a simple knife to the throat. I think? He was barely alive as the napalm seeps through his armour and scorched his skin. Taking off that armour was a bad idea; his hand was charred from the flame at his first attempt of removing his armour.

No wonder napalm was used way too much during the Vietnam War…

With that thick smoke going on, I have to work fast. Fortunately, this is not a horror movie, so I didn't comically juggles the key like a douche. It took me three tries to actually find the right key in the whole bunch of skelly keys.

Anywhoo, I manage to evacuate everybody in the cells, which consisted of a few Dog Girls, some Bunny Girls, a couple of strange Crab plus Girl combination (Lower body crab, upper body human. Like always, naked top half with noticeable breast growth despite age.) And a couple of mermaids. What the fuck? Why is there a mermaid on top of a mountain?

Lady Fortuna's favour the resilient, and the mermaids don't need a bucket of water to stay alive. To be safe, I grabbed a couple jar of water in advance. The smoke was not thick enough to suffocate us, so I led them all in haste toward the exit. After knowing everybody is safe I go back in. I still believe the one I left behind is still alive. She's just unconscious right? They are strong, right? A simple smoke won't kill them, right?

Richo was howling when I re-entered the chasm. Her long, haunting moan echoed the mountain range as I performed what others would say that it's a fool's task. I still cannot believe that they can die just like that…

They did. Their heartbeat was silent, their pupils dilated. They are limp; no life was present in their small frame. Rigor Mortis has set in, forcing me to abandon my foolhardy quest. The stiff limbs are no different than the chains that hold them. I killed them. I killed them. It was all my fault…If I just went in there and kill them manually…

No…It's not my fault. This shit happens always in combat. Civilians are the one who always got hurt in the long run. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was the Rabbit's fault. She was the one who captured Richo, she's the one who got me into this mess. Hell, she might be the one who was responsible for the portal back in Japan!

That bitch…I don't care who was reading this. If I saw her again, I'll fucking rape her with my rifle. I'll make sure she gets the full length; bayonet and all.

To be fair, I think she might enjoy it. Judging by the current trend of this world, my rifle might be way too small for her usual standard.

Fuck…That gives me the creeps. Why the fuck did I even think about that?

Anyway…The howl Richo gave earlier was not in vain. The moment I came out of the cave was the moment when the cavalry arrived. It was slow at first; the growing thudding of the ground became louder as the horsed cavalry approaches our location. Then finally, I saw them at the horizon, riding on Centaurs along with the rising sun. The Centaur's blonde hair glowed yellow as the rising sun's ray peeked out from the mountaintop to signify the new day.

14xx/5/10 Sunrise. The dawn of new day. The continuation of my yesterday's entry. The cavalry consisted of 6 Centaurs alongside their six Bunny Girls rider. Finally, a group of 4 Orc Girls appeared behind them, tired out from their climb but is sufficiently functioning. The problem is; they are the same one I fought of several days ago.

I remember them quite well; I remember the spot where I shot one of them in the chest. The same one I mentioned now has a bandage wrapped around her torso which is covered by a simple shirt. I am shocked very well you see. I saw them turn to dust, how the hell are they still alive?!

My answer came from one of the riders, a young Bunny Girl who was wary of my rifle. She said that while I did wound them, most of the time nobody actually died. You know why? Because each of them has the innate ability to teleport back to their hometown, to their houses in case they were in danger. It was only activated during emergency only and they were not perfect, like an instinctual hormone release that gave teenager skin problems but not some muscles. The effect is the same like Harpy feather, except it was not that perfect, hence the reason why Harpy feather was coveted the most in the monster community. The instinctual teleportation saved their life most of the time, but in exchange some of them might lose part of their bodies. It was not uncommon to see an Imp with a missing tail after 'killing' them for the first time.

Usually they would return to their 'spawn point', i.e their birth place. Usually it was not visible, like a childhood favourite toy or the underground seed in the case of Mandragoras. The fuck is a Mandragoras anyway? That's why they disappeared after losing. They didn't die, they just respawn. The only way you know they die is when they DON"T disappear.

I was stumped, the fuck? How the hell did I not notice that? The teleportation of a Harpy feather is fucking similar to their death animation! How the hell? Am I getting blind all of sudden? Jesus Christ! So that means…The one in the mines won't wake up anymore.

Fuck…

Anyway, they have somehow forgiven me for 'killing' them several days ago. They said that it was a dick move in their behalf and I was just defending myself. Great, now I have more allies with me. Plus, it also means that I won't get hunted down again on the trip. Or not.

They said that the one who helps Monster is far and between in this country, so I have made quite a good impression on the Monsters along the Continent. They said that they will return the hostage back to their families, whom were worried sick for the last few weeks. It also means that Richo would return to her family back in the Caves of Trials.

She gave me a sad look, yet she said that she wants to meet her friend. She told me that she lives up the Slime Mountain near Iliasville, living alongside the slime girls. While I was not thrilled by the prospect of being slimed again, I grew fond of Richo actually. I nearly died for her to be precise.

Lady Fortuna smiled again at me, for one of the Centaurs disappeared with the same animation of the Harpy feather teleportation, except with no pile of ashes left. A few momenst later, she appeared again in a flash, accompanied by a shock troop of several Imps and Centaur Girls.

I gonna describe how an Imp looks like. She is a small child in the stature of an eight year old. Like every Monster Girls out there, she wore a pair of extremely skimpy pink underwear that leaves nothing to the imagination. Her extremely large breast was bound together by a single strip of pink cloth that resembles a workout bra. Let me tell you, a fucking child carrying a pair of breast bigger than her whole body is the funniest shit I ever saw. I found myself giggling like a madman as one of them accidentally trips on the rocky floor, falling flat on her face. Her tiny pink bat wings serve nothing except comic relief as she flaps them uselessly to get up. She also has a pair of black pointy tails, which would twirl and curl in the weirdest way possible.

They are quite a good healer though; most of the minor skin wounds sustained by the hostage disappeared in a flash. I did sustain quite a few bruise and cuts, which right now aches as my Miami Mode and adrenaline galore has worn off. One of them makes everything disappear with just a simple kiss to my cheek. Fucking hell, even my mom's kisses can't heal my wound like that!

Like an idiot I was, I asked her to heal me of my deepest wound I hide inside me. She asked what it is; her green eyes stared at mine with a certain lust fitting a succubus. I asked her if her kisses can heal my broken heart.

We both gave each other the thousand –yard stares. Then, we collapsed into an embrace. No word was needed to understand the pain we felt in each other's heart.

Anyway, after that awkward embrace one of the Centaur Girls asked me whether if I need a favour or not, as one of the mermaids was her friend's cousin. She said that she can bring me everywhere, except across the sea of course; what with all the unholy storm and all. But I got my eye on Midas Village, and I love to hear more about their superior gold craftsmanship. Yep, while Pornof is famous for its ironwork, Midas was rumoured to have excellent craftsmanship in gold item. While I prefer iron over gold, I do have my main priority, which is exploring the whole continent.

And finding Hito. For god sake where is that asshole? I was searching for his ass for a goddamn week already! Where the hell he might be? Is he at Lost Wood, or Midas Village? Hell, maybe even back in one of the holes they called the Tartarus Rift? Wait…

I should've gone to the Tartarus Rift first! My adventure starts at a rift in a mountain, just like the one I entered. But I fell off the fucking sky like Santa after having way too much Christmas Balkan vodka (Merry Saint Nick need some REAL shit to drink. Ya know how hard is it to give gifts to every ungrateful kid in the world in one night, knowing that the lesser unfortunate would've never had a present in his/her own life if not for him?)

Just as I was about to order an Ilia's Centaur Express service a certain vacuum absorbs me into another void. For fuck sake did that whore know how much I hate being thrown through different dimension? The strange empty sensation was not something I looked forward…

Lo and behold! I am standing at a fucking grass plain, oh how I love you ground! But I was not alone…

It was a village, just another village. But what pissed me off so bad is that the dirty glare the people was giving me.

All right, where the fuck did the Rabbit threw me at? She's the White Rabbit right? Why the hell did she threw me through some weird rifts in dimension and shit? If she was worried about the cracks in the timeline, maybe she should not mess around with it MORE? I mean, would just throwing me around randomly through random fucking rift would create a big paradox? Something she was trying to prevent all along?

I have a funny feeling that this is all some ironic Alice in Wonderland crap I just got myself into. Seriously though, I heard the word Alice once before, I fell down a hole, there's a White Rabbit harassing my ass…I could happen! But that's wrong, I never followed any white rabbit or anything at all; I was fucking CHASED by some goddamn eldritch crap out of nowhere! I mean, when H.P Lovecraft hates your gut so much that he has to throw his creation at you, what the fuck I am supposed to do? Hug them?

But One thing that I'm REALLY sure that is Wonderland is that everything is fucked up, and to survive I have to fucking threw away my logic and embrace the insanity that will happen later on. That…was easier done than said. I was a bit unhinged, that's how I manage to survive everything they threw at me!

It was not the question of controlled insanity; it was the question of mentality and resolve. Many has the mentality of a herd, which means that their mind is hard to tamper with, hence the reason why so many people deny the new reality they found themselves in, still clinging to their old world's rule. While it may helped some a lot, but certain rules must be broken in order to stay alive. It's the decision on which rules to break that means between life and death.

Resolve too, is very important to survival. Many good explorers die even when they were equipped with cutting edge equipment. It's not about equipment; it's about the resolve needed to keep on fighting. Depression is a real danger, as elusive as bacteria and as painful as starvation.

The ability to adjust the mind toward the new reality, the rock-hard resolution in every decision made is what kept me alive. If I was hesitating in the past, I would've died back in Miami, even with two of my buddies behind me. Damn, David is one hell of a rifleman. Hesitation and Denial cannot rule your heart, else you die while you were still denying that a gang war just happened near you.

Speaking of resolve, the villagers of this new village I am facing now is testing my own with lots of different style. From what I gather from their rather colourful dialect, they are a bit of a cult village or something. Guess no matter where I go; I just HAD to end up in the wrong place huh? Just a work hazard I guess…

The village is what I call as primitive. Not a single stone carving or even a proper wood house. It looks more like what a group of villagers who build their own houses would look like. The houses looks like they were build out of just logs lashed together by linen rope or just simple grass house made from papyrus or something. I do remember that the civilization in Egypt used such plants for construction. Most of them wear hand-sewn outfit, some of them wore what I could call as old rags.

The adults are shouting nonsense crap at me, something about demons and shit. One of them pointed his spears at me, calling me a heretic Makina user that will be cut down by Ilias in the future. Of course I returned the courtesy with my rifle. The hell is wrong with this motherfucking village? Why the hell I always end up in some cultist circle? It's like a curse or something! The cult somewhere in Texas, the gangs in Miami…All I want to do is sightseeing dammit!

Anyway, I knew that I was not invited here. I knew the rabbit bitch sent me here not to die. These cultists, backward bumpkin of a village would've scatter at the first sound of gunshot. I don't think they even have any metal armour at all…Unless…

A wicked thought went into my mind at that moment. Could it be that she sent me here to perform genocide on these villagers? Like some kind of cult cleansing and shit? I mean, I have the capability of doing so. Is this what she sent me for?

Anyway, before I seriously pull the trigger a new priest came out of nowhere. I knew from fifty yards that he was a mole; his mannerism is way too awkward for a native. He wore a simple blue robe with a pair of soft blue hat. He said something along the line of salvation and shit. He says that I was sent here by Ilias not as a heretic, but as a sign that a heretical Makina user like mine can repent, and my arrival is the first step in the grand plan of Ilias.

Of course I call bullshit in all this. With my 'Makina-like' weaponries, my weird mannerism, my non-existent faith to any god, yeah I scream Ilias all out of my ass. Seriously though, where the fuck am I?

The priest told me to hand over my 'disgusting' Makina equipment. I snorted at that statement. But I complied, with a twist. I raised my rifle and fired 4 shot, leaving the old catridge in because I didn't operate the bolt the same amount to keep it loaded. I told them that I will relinquish my rifle; someone just gotta be brave enough to grab it from my hand.

Judging by their reaction, the rifle might be Anti-Christ itself in pure form. The priest grabbed the rifle, handling it with the most gusto I ever saw in a spy. He quickly whipped out a bottle of holy water (might be mineral water) and sprayed it all over the bolt and muzzle. He bashes his small wooden hammer at my rifle, all the while dancing and chanting in tongues. After all that dance and chant, he declared that the rifle was 'purged'.

My friend, the Karabiner98kurz by the Mauser are one of the best bolt action ever made. The bolt-action system is slick and smooth, and the safety system is top-notch. The system was copied over and over by many other bolt-action rifles. It was just that good.

Little bastard is also a tough fucker, a wooden club that can withstand the harsh violent environment of World War Two battlefield. Unlike the M16, you can use these as a club and you can really do mad damage with those. Mine was a good make, just a simple 1940 issued somewhere in Erfurt I believe. All and all, you can't jam a fucking bolt-action; especially a good wartime model likes mine.

But I can't help but make a show. I grabbed the rifle in an unsure grip, and then I pulled the trigger, knowing full well that the weapon is useless until I operate the bolt again. I made the worst shocked face I can, and then I hugged the rifle like a baby, praising Ilias that the 'staff' given by my 'father' was finally purged from Makina scourge. I was this close to laughing my ass off.

Life is short; better enjoy it as much as I can.

The priest then grabbed me and led me toward a bigger house, which screams the word holier than thou with its thatched roof and clean wooden planks. I entered the room and then the priest gave out the longest sigh a man can give. He said he was an undercover priest appointed by the King of San Ilia to watch over the village of Luddite, just to make sure that they don't try to do something funny ever since the bombing of the Pope. He also asked if he did anything with my rifle. I laughed at his hesitation. If Holy Water can destroy guns, then Stalin would've used priest instead of young disposable conscript!

He told me that I better not get back here anymore, as he nearly thought that the village would've resort to bloodshed just by my appearance. He said that my black aesthetic outfit and obviously Makina weaponries would brand me as a heretic. I actually applaud this fellow's quick-thinking. I might end up killing everybody if he didn't appear.

But he gave me something that I forever seal him in my debt. And I didn't even ask his name.

He gave me a piece of Hito's diary.

First off, I never knew that Hito kept a fucking diary of his adventure. I was more of the writer in the group actually. So it was hard to believe that he kept a diary actually, let alone there was a chance of his diary ending up here.

But here is it, a piece of paper with his sloppy writing all over it. Like I knew him, he writes in small handwriting fonts to cram in as much as he can in a single paper. There were a few spot of scarlet red staining the sheet, giving me a good reason to give alarm. Is he wounded? Where is he now? Where the hell the priest did have it? What is wrong with my life?

Anyway, I only have time to place it back into my own journal when I was pulled back into the abyss. Dammit Rabbit hoe! How many times do I have to get thrown around until you are happy?

Anyway, when I woke up, I found myself outside a house. A house designed to look like a dog house. The hell did I end up this time?

Then out of nowhere, a fucking army of slime girls just appeared out of nowhere, looking at me with inquisitive stares. I was back in Vietnam, and I decided to get out of dodge.

I was tackled mid-charge by a cuddly little girl. It was Richo. I end up outside her house?

Anyway, I am now at the Slime Village at the Slime Mountain. I was surprised that they have no houses until the little girl told me that the whole mountain is their home. They are pretty much an element of nature too. She told me that houses such as this are rare, as because most of them lives in the wilderness.

Anyway, I am an explorer so I decide to explore the place.

The mountain was beautiful. Green, lush vegetation permeates throughout the whole mountaintop. Sparkling, clear rivers and pools teemed with life, which the Slime Girls were merrily harvesting. Instead of using an implement, they used their own slimy appendage like a net, which netted them quite a good amount of fish. But no matter how much they fished, the river supply never ran out. To be fair, I was a bit hungry when I saw the fishies.

One of the slime girls saw me rubbing my tummy, or plainly heard my tummy rumbling like a demon or something. She approaches me and simply hand me a fish, smiling happily. I was surprised by the act of kindness, yet I felt happy. I smiled back and thanked her, as that was what I believe was right.

I gave the fish to Richo. I told her to keep it, as I would be cooking dinner. She said that it would not be necessary, as her slimy friend will help her with the dinner. I told her to keep it anyway, just in case.

The mountain was beautiful. It was what I would call as the foundation of a civilization. Fertile lands with clean water are what a group of people needed to raise a civilization. Do you know how many civilization that started right beside a river?

The route toward the mountaintop was a simple leisurely hike all the way to the top. Thank god, my stamina needs a break after the past high-octane week. The sky was a beautiful blue dotted with fluffy white clouds that looks like cotton candies. The area was in full spring, myriads of multi-coloured flowers that dotted the sidewalk of my dirt path. It was surprisingly clean for a simple route.

The final destination was worth it. By the time I reached the mountaintop the sun has fallen from the skies and slipped halfway through the horizon, bathing the whole mountain in a golden orange tint. The sunray hit my body and cast a long shadow behind me, but the light was pleasant to feel. I wish I have my camera. Words alone cannot achieve the beauty I'm seeing right now.

Anyway, I returned back to Richo and her friend back in the house. She lives with a Wolf Girl, a Slime Rabbit Girl and a Rat Girl. Wolf Girl got furry paws and wolfish red hind legs, which somehow allow them to walk upright. The rat girl's look no different than any normal girl, except a pair of huge Mickey-Mouse-like ear and a long tail. She was a bit smelly, but I knew that I smelled even worse sometimes.

The Bunny Slime is a funny one. It depicts a girly little woman on top of a cushion of slime. As she was originally slime, the cushion is also part of her body. She is made entirely of pink slime, her bunny ears and ridiculously large breast were all part of a single blob of slime. The only reason they are attractive is that they took shape of some voluptuous woman.

Richo was still wearing the red dress I bought, which warms my heart for the moment. Dinner was a simple affair of fried fish and rice, which we downed with a side helping of some fried tofu and tea. The perk of being hungry is that anything tastes like a fucking four-star buffet even when the cook makes some horrendous mistake.

I am writing this entry inside Richo's room. While she assures me that she's well above eighteen, her body stature begs to differ. I settled on a simple night cuddle with her. How can I say no to such a cute face?

Anyway, I am a bit tired. The last few days were messed up and I really, REALLY need rest. I'll write down the next entry when I explored my next destination.

Yesterday, I planned a massacre of a whole group of traffickers up in Pornof Mountains. Today, my massacre ends with the whole group wiped out with four unwitting casualties caught in the crossfire. Then, I made peace with the Monster raider group that was hunting me down. Then, I found myself in a village filled to the brim with cultist. I also found a piece of Hito's diary, which is a fucking tease in front of my nose. Just as I about to explore the cultist village, I was teleported to a beautiful mountain which the Slime Girls that I was hostile at first made their home. Oh! And I am now about to sleep with one of the Monster Girls to conclude the day.

Shit really got weird so fast…


	9. Hito's note (1?)

_Front of the page:_

 _14XX/5/3 Johannes Calendar_

 _It's been two days. Two. DAYS._

 _So after getting of a Cart, that was attacked by some…Crabs? I…honestly have no exact idea of where I'm going, at the moment. Right now, I'm currently writing this down as I am walking through this seemingly long and silent road. Save for a handful of...these…Monster girl-ish happily straddling these helpless men as they scream in critical ecstasy, without embarrassment at that, really…I'm honestly just damn glad that I managed to find this weird bracelet lying on the floor from a small red chest that I encountered next to where I woke up. It's safe to say that, this bracelet somehow makes me…invisible towards the monster girls, I…think?_

 _So far, only one or two of there…Weird beings actually managed to see through me and eventually attack me. Good thing I brought that musket from back then and made good use of it at the time. And by good use, I meant as in throwing the weapon at the enemy as a distraction before lending two shots at it. I didn't kill it, but it at least showed some audacity to leave me be, afterwards. The others? Well…I guess I just …Repeated the same strategy? Yeah, I think that was it._

 _(Several more paragraph was written, but it was obscured by several stain of blood)_

 _End of front page_

 _(The back of the page yielded more writing, which was thankfully intelligible despite some blood.)_

 _Anyways, I'm honestly just glad that I managed to grab this weird bracelet. Guess I just have good luck or something. I'm not going to count on it too much, though… Jeez, I've made way too many mistakes before arriving here…Then again, my weapons are all unusable and useless right now. And I'll have to eventually just use that plain old Broad Sword I got from that one Shop Keeper…I honestly wants to find an exit and just head home already, darn it…_

 _How long have I've been walking…? 20 minutes? It wasn't long until I stumbled upon something like a village of something like a village of sorts. And-. Oh my god…I regretted ever getting close to that place. It didn't take long until a sharp and pointy spear was thrown directly at me, and by either sheer luck, maybe…it went past my cheek and through my green hair. I felt a sharp pain on my cheek, however. It seems I was bleeding-And some of it got onto this page! Damn it! Why!?_

 _…Eitherway, I wasn't taking any damn chances. I quickly turned around and run off before I let those weirdoes take another shot at me with a spear. I faintly remember the village being called, um…Lud village, or something…Whatever, I just hate my damn situation, and I'm alone at that!_

 _…Whatever. Right now, some hours have passed, and I'm currently setting up camp in an unknown area. It's quite, there's no sign of monsters around, so I'll take this chance to recover my energy before I go for another crazy run, Cat Mario style. Speaking of which…I'm still wondering where did Alex go…_

 _It'll be fine, I guess…Anyways, let me just-_

 _(It stopped here. Whatever he wrote next is in the next page. I gotta go find more. I just gotta find a way to get back to that village…)_


	10. Chapter 10

14xx/5/12 Johannes Calendar

12 days since arrival.

Guess what guys? I'm in Midas!

How? Teleportation via Harpy feather. All right, you must be wondering, how the hell did I do that? I mean, I never actually set foot on Midas before, how the hell did I end up there? Simple, a Centaur has been there, and she brought me along for the ride with the feathers.

Richo decided to stay behind, as she was content on living her peaceful life near Iliasville. I gave her the biggest hug I can give and followed my Centaur to the white abyss.

Latina is the name of the Centaur I have as a guide. She is a white mare with a white star on her forehead. Unlike her blonde sister, she has a flowing brown mane which she tied in a double ponytail to ensure that it does not mess with her rider's vision during travel. She was an avid traveller, and she has travelled the length of the Continent with her friends across the years. So she has already travelled to places I want to explore.

I can now fast travel between places because my guide has already travelled the whole place! Yay! All I need to do is to maintain contact with my guide, and I can go anywhere!

So of course, my first destination is Midas Village. I'm DYING to see their gold craftsmanship.

That pun became hilariously ironic once I got there. Let me tell you what happened. The village was just like Iliasville, but a little more spacious, bigger and a lot greener than Iliasville. What kind of village would build their place near a poison marsh?

Anyway, the population was having an annual clean-up of their village, which was suspiciously draped in clear slime. I recognized those slimes; those belong to the Slug Girls. Anyway, everybody was hard at work, cleaning anything that was covered in slime. I saw a group of men at a well in the middle of the village, scooping out buckets of slime from the well. Ew, I rather not drink anything from that…

I asked a man who was busy cleaning the exterior of his shop. He said that Midas was plagued by an infestation of slugs thanks to their queen copulating endlessly. The queen stopped copulating once the Hero Luka beat some sense into her. He said that the hero has left these place days ago, something about the Lost Wood or something. He also warned me to not go there unless equipped with one of his masterfully crafted gold armour.

While the idea of parading around in a suit of golden armour appeals to me, but I rather not have any more reason for bandits or Monsters to attack me. Being attacked for my semen is bad enough, but wearing gold armour is like ringing a bell every step I take and yell "ROB MY ASS" at the top of my lung while unarmed.

He also said that gold equipment was way stronger than any metal armour, and it would help me a lot in my journey. This is where I call bullshit. Yeah, I knew this fucker wants to sell me his stuff, but trying to fool me is laughable. Did he think I don't know the difference between metals?

Gold was one of the softest metals you can get as well as the most valuable. You can beat thin sheet of gold until it became semi-transparent. While gold was not as soft as aluminium, it is softer than iron, hence requiring imbuement with other metals to increase their own strength such as tungsten. Iron beats gold in hardness, but gold is much easier to work with due to their malleability. Plus, gold's melting point is lower than iron, which is around 1500 degrees Celsius. Gold melts around 1000 degrees.

Plus, I don't have the money to buy it though.

The shopkeeper laughed at me, saying that while I knew quite a good bit of metal, he says that gold just beat iron stats –wise and most gold equipment beat out iron in almost every form. Weight, density and even market price. He even says that with their superior craftsmanship, any gold sword can cleave through an iron shield easy.

Okay, I just had to call out his bullshit. What the fuck? Is he trying to fool me, of all people? Seriously, I already deconstruct his statement that gold is much stronger than iron with scientific facts, and now he tries to save face by saying that superior craftsmanship trumps out any atomic composition of mineral just by craftsmanship? Gold and iron has DIFFERENT chemical, atomic and composition from each other. That composition is what makes them different from each other, no matter how skilful you are! Saying that a skilfully made gold sword can cleave through iron shield is like saying that a wooden pickaxe can break open a steel lock just because the pickaxe was made from a professional woodcarver!

That's where the logic of this world decides to show me whose boss. The shop owner simply pulled out a notepad and a gold knife. He touched the paper with the knife and presented the black sheet at me. Soon, several numbers starts to appear from the paper like magic! Then, he flipped the notepad to get a new page, and then he proceeds to touch the blank page with my KA-BAR knife.

HOLY SHIT! That golden knife he brought? The stats shown that the knife was twice as fast as my KA-BAR knife and as twice as much damage dealt with! What the frick frack?!

In the end, I conceded to his statement, unable to disprove this world's logic with the olden day's logic. Fuck it; if graphite is stronger than diamond I have no choice but to accept it. I just hope that diamond is fucking cheap and numerous here. I mean, do you know how much I can get with a bag of masterfully crafted diamond? Or hell, maybe a small bag of pure gold coins? I don't even need to save for my retirement if that's the case!

Hi de ho, life really likes to kick me in the balls. One second I was contemplating about the prices of dollar converted to Ilia's Continent gold currency, the next a group of bandits just get into the village. They area mean bunch, each of them wearing a full plate armour and carrying lances.

"Greetings! We are the Holy Lance Bandit of the Mountain, and we came here to purge a demon from this land" One of them yelled, which my mind quickly shuts down as he keeps on berating about their holy mission and shit. None of the villagers actually gave a shit; just giggling quietly as they silently walks back to their houses.

Looks like a group of mercenary came here to collect a bounty on my head. Never knew I have one actually. I was bored by his incessant gloating, so I decided to test their armour durability with 7.92 Mauser round. The leader, which I assume was due to his plumed helmet fell off his horse, the bullet punched through the chink of his armour and through the chainmail, giving him a nasty flesh wound.

The loud thunder from my rifle surprisingly does not scare their horses away, much to my amazement. Whoever trained their horses deserve a fucking medal. They were shocked, and then they quickly reined their horses to perform a counter-attack. Shit, I'm not dealing with wannabes around here.

Latina came to my rescue. She jumped high into the sky and landed hard in the middle of the group, spearing one of them through with her lance. I took the opportunity to throw my final flashbang as they scattered after the attack.

The flashbang stunned Latina and some other driver. This time the horses acted normally and bucked violently as they were disoriented by the loud bang and shock. 3 bandits fell off their mount, which helped me a lot. I shot down the remaining 4 soldier who wasn't thrown off their horses. Latina too was shocked after the bang, and she accidentally trampled on one of them.

The remaining two soldiers woke up, shocked that I manage to take out 4 of them so quickly. They quickly throw their spears at me, which I dodged by rolling sideway. They quickly draw their sword, which flashes in gold as the blade leaves their sheath.

I'm not into chivalrous combat and shit, so I just finished them off with the Colt. The 0.45 punched through the exposed part of their legionaries' helmet, making a neat hole between the eyes. Yep, all that training back in America was worth it.

The adrenaline of battle worn off and I finally saw the villagers who were watching the battle. They were armed with gold weaponries. Jesus Christ, I even saw a crossbow with golden string! They smiled at me, saying that I was a true warrior and shit.

Latina was pissed that I shocked her with the flashbang, but at least we survived right? She just shook her head, saying that I owe her for that stunt. Fair enough I guess; I have my personal experience with flashbang.

Anyway, I am intrigued by the so-called mechanical expertise of the village. And I still need to confirm one thing; his magic notepad. Yeah, you think I'm stupid? It's just simple chemical mixture on a fucking sheet of paper! He just pulled a fucking invisible ink on me!

Anyway, I returned to that dude again, asking him to review my weapon, but this time on the same pages for all my weapon. Unless he uses his invisible pen, there's no way he can write new message on the same paper, even if the chemical mixture used was the one that can dissolves in thin air after use.

This world really likes to mess with my sense of logic. He did it all without breaking a sweat and each of them were different, even on the same page. He just tapped it and boom, numbers appeared. Hell, they even display the correct name for my guns!

He told me that stats plays an important role in deciding what kind of combat style a warrior used. A warrior with high dexterity and agility always hit fast and hard. But a warrior who prioritizes damage will always go for the axe, except that was slow and cumbersome, hence allowing most enemies to dodge the attack. A thief would always go for daggers and such as their high dexterity allows them to use them effectively. Nothing can escape their range, but don't expect them to put a scratch on any hard armour.

He also said that I can have a look at my own stats, allowing me to determine the route I can take. Jobs, personal stats, weapon stats, equipment, anything can be calculated and checked by the person. All you need is a simple notepad blessed by the head priest at Ilias Temple. He also said that there are several stats that determine my overall capability as a fighter during any combat. The notepad was usually called the 'Combat Note' as that was the only reason it was used, to keep track of your combative capability.

There are several types of stats actually. HP, MP, SP, Willpower, Agility, Dexterity, Magic, Defence and Attack. Those are what were called at 'Base stats'. Base stats determined the raw volume of your combative capability, such as how hard you can hit an enemy.

HP is health point, it basically how much health I have in my body and how much I can withstand before dropping dead. Once it hit zero, you know what happens. MP is Mana points, it determines how much mana you can, and in turn determines how many spells you can cast as well as the capability of casting higher-tier spells. SP is Skill Points, it determines the ability you can use during combat, as in combat techniques you learned. It's basically stamina as most of the skill used requires physical exertion and mental concentration and running out of it means you can't use it anymore.

Attack is straightforward; how much you can hurt people just by a single strike. Defence is how much damage that you can absorb, in turn decrease the overall damage received at your overall HP. Magic is how strong your spell casted. Willpower modifies the magic damage received and increases the power of most Holy Magic, whether healing or damaging.

Agility was the speed of your attack as well as your mobility during combat. But it was usually summed up as this: Whoever has the highest agility strikes first. Last but not least is Dexterity. It determines how fluent you are in the usage of certain weaponries. Some weapons might be naturally dexterous, making it very easy to use one. In short, the higher the Dexterity, the easier the operation of a weapon, which in turn increases the damage dealt with.

And then we got Rates. Hit Rates, Critical Rate, Evasion Rate, Magic Evasion Rate, Counter rate, Magic Counter Rate, HP Recovery Rate, MP Recovery rate, SP Recovery Rate, SP Charge Rate, MP Consumption, Recovery Effectiveness, Steal Success Rate, Item Effectiveness, Magic Reflect Rates, EXP Rate, Job EXP Rate, Gold Bonus, Item Drop Rate and finally, Recruitment Rate.

Holy Mother Theresa on a hood of a Mercedes Benz, That's a lot of rates.

Hit rates determine the chance of you hitting the target in each stroke. The higher the Hit rate, the higher the chance of scoring a hit. Critical Rates is how much extra damage you may dish out when hitting the weak spot of an enemy or using an element they are weak to. Evasion rate means how fast your reaction is, which in turn allows you to have a higher chance of dodging certain attacks. Magic Evasion determines the chance of you dodging some magical attacks. Counter Rate is the chance you get to enact a counter attack against an enemy's physical attack. Magic Counter Rate is like normal Counter Rate, except magical.

HP Recovery rates are your ability to heal from the damage you receive in every second. MP Recovery rate is how much Mana you recover every second. SP Recovery is how much stamina you recover every second, but it is not as effective as SP Charge Rate, which is how much stamina you recover when resting. MP Consumption is how much Mana you consume in each spell casted. SP Consumption is how much stamina you used in executing certain moves, such as a choke hold.

Recovery Effectiveness is how effective a certain recovery effects inflicted on the user. Item Effectiveness is how effective item used by the user. Steal Success Rate is the chance of success when you are about to steal some shit from your opponent when they're not looking. Magic Reflect means that there are certain chances of the user to reflect any offensive magic casted on him/her back to the original caster. EXP rate is how much experience you can get after every fight, which allows you to learn a trick or two in future combat. Job EXP is how much experience you have in your job. Gold Bonus is how much money you can get after every combat. Item Drop rate is the chances of item gained from a defeated enemy. Last but not least, recruitment rate is the chances of your enemy to join your side.

Jesus, there's so many things I have to take factor in! And there's some part I don't really understand. How does Gold Bonus work? He says that the higher you're Gold Bonus rate is, the more gold you receive from your defeated enemy. What happens if the enemy is stone broke? Did they magically conjure gold out of their ass when I have over 300% Gold Bonus?

Anyway, I can bless my journal back in Ilias Temple with the flick of a feather. All I need is just a good supply of Harpy Feather. Buying it over and over will soon bite my ass in the future. I need a Harpy companion.

Why wait?

But I need to explore the whole fucking village. And that's what I did.

I already checked out the blacksmith's craftsmanship. To say I was impressed was an understatement. Every gold equipment's made was crafted with care, smelted and forged skilfully by expert hand. The golden blade was so sharp; you can spit hair with it. It also shines like the sun when I brought it under the light. The decoration too, was masterfully crafted in each equipment. Minatour raced across the golden plain across a circular shield, which another Harpy was jumping toward the sword next to a breast plate, which was embossed by several tentacles that sprouted from a golden heart.

But they are exorbitantly expensive. So I moved on to the other shop.

The convenience store was a bit more useful than others. I bought myself more Harpy Feather and Herbs. Due to my guide's insistence, I also bought several Full Moon Grass as she said that it was useful to cure many status effect, most notably the paralyze effect from a Mandragora's scream. I don't like being paralyzed, so I bought it. The question is whether I shall need it or not. Judging by the current trend of my exploration, this will come in handy.

I also notice that this place has a bad case of slug infestation. What the use of cleaning up if those slimes gonna make a mess anyway?

One of the townsfolk said that while it's true that the Hero has defeated the queen, it only means that there shall be no more Slug Girls than the current number, which is still a lot. The good news is, most of them gradually moved back to the Slug Tower nearby to tend their queen, who was still sore after a massive beat down. He said that this is the only chance they can clean this place up and maybe pour salt across the village's border to prevent more from coming in.

The salt thing was a bust. I saw several line of salt made throughout the village. But it only serves to infuriate the remaining Slug Girls, which I found has claimed several townsfolk and slimed them proper. Judging by their awestruck look on their face, I doubt it they'll try the salt thing anymore.

I also notice a single house which was surrounded by a group of Slug Girls. The concentrated amount of Slug Girls around the house arouse my suspicion, hence the reason why I decided to investigate. I manage to get close to one of the Slug Girl who was muttering something under her breath. Thanks to my increased instinct, I can pick up what she said. "Must…Breed"

No two words have ever explained so much in so little time.

Anyway, not every Slug Girls was a pest. I saw a Slug Priestess holding a church mass with several other human and Slug attendant. I'm not Christian, nor am I a believer of anything. I believe in everything, so I just plopped myself at the front and simply prayed for Hito's safety.

To my left, I saw three Slug Girls sliming a priest behind an overturned log. I walked over as I expected him to ask for help, but the ecstatic expression on his face state that the opposite is true. Disgusted by the amount of slime, I made my way toward the legendary Maid's house.

The maid lives in a twin story wooden house, which is quite a luxury among the other houses. The maid outside the house was her new apprentice I believe. She has a sharp and serious visage, which says that she means business. Her blue hair was short and sharp at the edge, giving her an impression of a blade maiden. A beautifully serious maiden with the skill to match.

She asked me whether if I am familiar with a gladiatorial match called Battle Fucking. I am curious about it, as my life was a battlefield which the amounts of fucks I have are the bullets I have to conserve and use sparingly.

She said that the legendary old maid was inside the house, retired from duty. While old age has dulled her strength, her skill was still as sharp as her youth suggest. She said that the old woman has not lost her touch and I must show respect to her.

Well, she's old. It's just common sense that you must respect the elderly.

Flora has the eye of a hawk, which stared deeply into my soul as she greets me. Despite her unsettling gaze, her word and mannerism quickly put me at ease. She is a natural maid. Her gaze was surprisingly familiar, as if I was looking at my mother's eye again. I miss her…

She was an old lady, her hair was fully white due to age and she can barely walk without the aid of her exquisite black cane. Despite all that, my trained eyes can see the refinement in her movement, the aura was elegant. I found myself wondering how she looks like when she was full in her youth.

She said that she has the ability to look deep into anybody's trait, as in taking a look at my Combat Stats and dispense services according to my current need without the use of Combat Notepad. My mind was blown that day.

She said that she can tell me what trait do I have deep inside me, and she said that despite everything, I was a good man.

She said that I have faced too much in my youth; it was a miracle that I have not succumbed to the past. Many men has fallen from grace just facing half of what I have to do, but here I am, cracked, rough, dirty…Yet still the same diamond I was in the first place. She said that I have endured so many and returned with so many scars, yet my mind still belongs to me. She said, despite everything, I'm still Alex Armin.

She smiled warmly as her gaze continues. She said that while I may not be strong enough to change anything, I am strong enough to endure everything. She said that the piece of iron ingot I am will go through suffocating heat and harsh beating, only to come out as a fine sword.

I smiled back. I told her there's a reason why I'm still alive, why I have not lost myself in the long journey that is life. I have friends. My friends, my comrade-in-arms are the only reason I kept on going even when there's nothing to go on. Having a reason to continue fighting, no matter how mundane, was the reason I'm still alive.

That's why I vowed that I'll find Hito before I go home. I cannot abandon the one who kept my sanity intact.

There was another reason, but it was obvious to any reader of my journal here. My passion for exploring is what kept me alive. I wanted to find my place in this world, a purpose for my action. Why am I created here? Why this world did was created? Why Humanity did has freedom of choice, only to realize that it meant nothing in the end? Why? Why we ask this question? What did we do wrong?

I finally realized why I was created. My purpose is to enrich the lives of the one who was dear to me, and to witness the beauty of the world we live in on their behalf, and lead them to the same path which I took to witness such magnificence together. That is why I became an explorer.

She smiled even wider; her eyes twinkled at my word. She said that it was very hard to find a man like me. She said that most heroes only seek peace between men and sought justice to right the injustice, but very few actually found the reason why they seek peace in the first place. She said that if she was younger, she will gladly serve me alongside my journey.

Yep, this grandma was an action maid in the past. She also was the one who beat the living shit out of the Slug Queen some odd 60 years ago.

Anyway, I asked Flora to write down my stats in order for me to understand who I am better. She obliged like always. I bid farewell to that kindly woman and head my way toward Ilias Temple.

The head priest was surprised that I have not blessed my notebook to become a Combat Notepad. He said that as I have quite a lot of experience already, he assumed that I already have one due to my experience he saw in the stats. I raised my eyebrow at this.

Really nigga?

I told him to just bless one page from my notepad as I only need to check out my items and stats. He did it well. He even blessed my notepad so that the notebook will add more pages by magical means when I am running out of pages. I fucking need that. Thanks Pope!

Anyway… Now I have got what I need, it's time for me to get to Harpy Village!

One Harpy feather used up and I am now back at the huge tree villages. I gotta find a harpy companion. I don't want to spend half of my gold in Harpy Feather all the time.

Nobody was up for adventure, and nobody actually wants to give up their feather for free. Oh well, it was a good try at least.

Now, where am I?

I am at Ilias Port. I am resting at one of their inn as it was already night actually. The room was much better than the one in Pornof, but anything is better than Pornof. I have a proper bed, a proper drawer, and a bird's eye of the seaside. I'll explore more tomorrow.

There's a university nearby. I'll check it out tomorrow. Peace out journal.


	11. Alex's current stat and equipment

_Alex Armin Level 10_

 _Human: Level 7_

 _Gunner: Level 10_

 _Adventurer: Level 10_

 _Alchemist: Level 2_

 _Martial Artist: Level 8_

 _Cook: Level 6_

 _Scholar: Level 6_

 _Trait: Combat-oriented Explorer_

 _Knowledge is power, which is what Alex learned in his journey. And exploration is one of the best ways of attaining knowledge. As he has travelled for years, he has learned a lot._

 _But after travelling for so long, he has unwittingly attracted some unwanted attention, and he has no choice but to learn how to defend himself against human attacker. Fortunately, he found himself a master thanks to repeated target practice and hand-to-hand combat with their goons on a daily basis._

 _Marksman: 120% Hit Rate with any Gun. 75% to inflict Critical Rate_

 _Veteran Explorer: Survive any extreme weather and environment longer and more effectively. Alex will also have 50% Job and EXP Gain Rate. 40% Defence from Elemental spell._

 _Improvised Scholar: Has the ability to make bombs out of certain chemicals as well as well-versed in many field of study through thorough exploration. In his break time he was known to compile lots of his observation throughout his journey in his personal journal._

 _Gun Nut: intensive knowledge of guns and its mechanical operation allows him to recreate any weapon given the right tools and material. Can teach any aspiring blacksmith on the art of gunsmithing._

 _Open Mind, Motherfucker: 75% chance of nullifying Confusion, Charmed, Silence, Trance, Temptation and Horny. Also won't take things personally unless you really, REALLY piss him off._

 _Loli Lover: Deep inside his heart, he has a fondness for adorable children and will be happier when an adorable child is in the team. Increased SP, Agility, Attack, Dexterity and extra health once a Loli class downed in the team. Don't fuck with his loli's, motherfucker._

 _HP: 85/85_

 _SP: 18_

 _Attack: 70_

 _Magic: 30_

 _Agility: 78_

 _Hit Rate: 200%_

 _Evasion Rate: 30%_

 _Counter rate: 75%_

 _Max MP: 35_

 _Defence: 50_

 _Willpower: 98_

 _Dexterity: 86%_

 _Critical Rate: 75%_

 _Magic Evasion Rate: 5%_

 _Magic Counter Rate: 10%_

 _HP Recovery Rate: 0%_

 _SP Recovery Rate: 5%_

 _MP Consumption: 100%_

 _Recovery Effectiveness: 100%_

 _Steal Success Rate: 100%_

 _XP Rate: 150%_

 _Job XP Rate: 150%_

 _Gold Bonus: 100%_

 _MP Recovery Rate: 0%_

 _SP Charge Rate: 100%_

 _SP Consumption: 100%_

 _Magic Reflect: 50%_

 _Item Drop Rate: 100%_

 _Equipment:_

 _Scoped Kar98k_

 _[Gun] a powerful and rugged bolt-action rifle that made the bulk of the infantry weaponries of Germany during World War Two. Rugged, efficient and smooth bolt mechanism allows the user to fire faster._

 _Hit Rate: 120%_

 _1 Normal Attack_

 _M1911.45 Colt_

 _[Gun] A semi-automatic blow-back action pistol made by the Colt for the US Army. While it was phased out for the Italian M9, it still one of the most reliable handgun ever made. Fires the powerful 0.45 ACP round._

 _Hit Rate: 100%_

 _4 Normal Attacks_

 _KA-BAR Knife (in storage)_

 _[Dagger] A survival knife designed for combat and survival in the wild for the US Army. Sharp, well-balanced and very sturdy. Capable of surviving any situation thrown at it._

 _Combat earplugs._

 _[Head] this combat earplugs was designed to reduce the sound decibel in any environment to a safe level in case of operating in high noise decibel environment. Reduce 70% of Sonic Damage received._

 _Padded Black Hoodie_

 _[Chest] A black hoodie which was reinforced by padding of Kevlar and Nylon, allowing it to receive much more damage and absorb much more impact during combat. Keep in mind as the modification was to protect from environmental damage, it cannot prevent any medium calibre round from penetrating the padding._


	12. Alex's to do list

_To-Do List._

 _Holy Mother of Altair riding a Panzer tank, I never expected shit to go out of control like this. I been reading back my journal for references for this world and realized one thing: What is my original goal?_

 _I do have it concrete in my mind, but things were a little bit hectic lately, and I realized that I need something to ground me once something just gets out of control like my life now. Plus, the White Rabbit is still out there, and from what I know about her she won't let me travel anywhere near Luka or something until the time is right. Hell, she even kidnapped one of my companions just to fuck up my travel._

 _Main Goal:_

 _1._ _Find the exit_

 _2._ _Find Hito_

 _3._ _Explore_

 _Finding the exit is imperative for my survival. While this place was beautiful, I don't want to be stuck here forever. On the other hand, I want to continue exploring, so I might put that off for the moment. Hito…He can wait, the White Rabbit obviously manipulated his fate. If he dies before we met Luka, then there's no way in hell a paradox cannot happen._

 _Side Goal:_

 _1._ _Explore Port Ilias_

 _2._ _Find out about the bounty put on my head_

 _3._ _Find the proper imbuement for my weaponries._

 _4._ _Make more bombs_

 _5._ _Make more ammunition_

 _6._ _Find more supply_

 _Supply is important for my survival. I still need water and food to keep on going, and as far as I know, money would be an issue. I can fight for the money, but the risk might not be worth it. I still have enough, but I gotta use it sparingly._

 _Some motherfucker put a bounty on my head, and as time progress, it might get even bigger. I just have to lay low for the moment and not attract way too much attention. Judging by the current situation, that would be unlikely. In that case, I have to get more supply of ammunition and bombs for my travel. I can't just rely on the poor blacksmith at Iliasburg all the time…_

 _While my weaponries are serving me well, I believe that I'll find somebody or something that can shrug off my bullets like nothing. When that day comes, I must be ready. The problem is what imbuement I need?_

 _Potential Imbuement:_

 _Rifle: Fire, Lightning, Wind, Crystal, Earth, Death,_

 _Pistol: Fire, Lightning, Wind, Crystal, Earth, Death_

 _Knife: Fire, Lightning, Wind, Crystal, Death,_

 _Hoodie: Wind, Crystal, Earth_

 _I seriously don't know what would happen if I imbue my armour with stuff. I'll be heading toward the university nearby Port Ilias. I hope I can find somebody that can teach me something._

 _Companion:_

 _Latina_

 _Level 8 Centaur_

 _Weapon: Iron spear_

 _Armour: iron breast plate and shoulder pauldrons._

 _My current guide throughout this journey. She agreed to guide me across the continent thanks to my job at the mines yesterday. She enjoys fighting and adventures, something that I can provide her with._

 _Hito's note (1/?)_

 _This note…I know this belongs to him. I recognized his writing very well. He was not that good of a writer, but damn he's a reliable comrade to watch your back. Motherfucker earned my respect over and over again throughout the years knowing him._

 _It seems that he has decided to follow my example and write his own journal to record his adventure; I always knew that this journal thing might come in handy. This note was stained with blood and some part of it was unreadable due to the scarlet fluid. This one was found in the Luddite Village across the sea. I believe that I'll find more of these when I revisit the place._

 _The real question is, would I find him there instead? And if so, would the White Rabbit allow it?_

 _Current strength:_

 _I believe I am strong enough to handle most of the shit that was thrown at me. I didn't survive this long without learning a trick or two. But this world's logic is very different than my world's logic, so I better rack up more numbers to increase my level._

 _Latina said that the only way I can increase my EXP is by fighting or consuming magical seed, which is rarest among the rare. I gotta find a gladiatorial ring to participate to get more level. But most importantly, I need to imbue my weaponries with better stuff to make better weaponries._

 _I can handle enemy that was human-sized, but I need my guns for something much bigger. My bombs help a lot, but I believe I need something better to fight the one coming too. Maybe I should craft an improvised grenade launcher? Or maybe a submachine gun?_

 _Current Equipment:_

 _Good enough for now. But I believe I shall be fighting something worse in the future. Just a hunch. I need to craft more weapons myself or find someone else to do it for me. I'll be happy to be a teacher._

 _Potential weapon crafting:_

 _1._ _Bombs: (Needed in a daily basis. Napalm, frag and flashbangs help a lot)_

 _2._ _Automatic weapons._

 _3._ _Grenade launcher_

 _Location explored:_

 _1._ _Iliasvile (/)_

 _2._ _Iliasburg (/)_

 _3._ _Pornof (/)_

 _4._ _Happiness Village (/)_

 _5._ _Harpy Village (/)_

 _6._ _Midas Village (/)_

 _7._ _Enrika ()_

 _8._ _Nameless Slum? ()_


	13. Alex Game Stats

_**After revising his traits and the game's lore, I realized that the previous one might be too OP with its bundle of traits. After slamming my head on the keyboard and swallowing a god-awful amount of soda, I decided that the traits are up to you readers to choose. Alex is the embodiment of the writer itself, as the writer has a colorful personality, it would not be a surprise to find more than one trait in this character. It's up to you.**_

 ** _This traits I'll be using would be this one I post. Much simpler and adhere to the game's mechanic and future lore which I will conjure out of my ass because I can't find one despite searching the net for long._**

 _Alternate Stats:_

 _Alex Armin_

 _Rifleman Class 10_

 _Human Level 7_

 _Trait: Improvised Scholar_

 _=A simple scholar who learns as much as he can about his surrounding and record it for study later on. Alex usually record whatever he learned from his surrounding and record it in his personal journal, which has followed him along ever since day one. While he was on break, he was known to be an avid bookworm; it was not uncommon to see him in a library reading a book while drinking his soda for pleasure._

 _Through his observation and research in his break time, he has accumulated lots of practical information that helps him throughout his journey. This trait allows him to learn new things every time he entered a new settlement. Plus 50% Job EXP and EXP gain during combat._

 _Weapon equipped:_

 _Scoped Kar98k_

 _M1911.45 Colt_

 _KA-BAR knife_

 _Weapon type:_

 _Guns, Knives, Fist, Bombs_

 _Anything he can get his hands on (Miami Mode only)_

 _Rifleman Class_

 _=Rifleman is a trained marksman armed with high-powered and accurate rifle. While rifles were their primary weapon, they are capable of using any form of firearms effectively with their extensive knowledge of firearms. They are capable of delivering massive injury with careful aim at the weak spot of their enemy. Keen eyed, nothing can escape their steely gaze when they're locked in. When needed, they can stun their enemy through combination of fist, foot and the heavy solid butt stock of their rifles in close quarter combat._


	14. Chapter 14

14xx/5/13

13 days since Arrival…

Port Ilias is getting their ass back on track.

Apparently, the so-called massive storm that wrecks many ship in the past somehow calmed down to a manageable state. While it was still dangerous, a certain ship manages to get their hands on an item called the Poseidon's Bell. The bells will protect any ship it was hung from. Apparently I was too late as the ship has already departed. Fuck me sideway and everywhere, why?

Anyway, the storm has been crippling the economy of this seaside settlement as most of them have nothing new in their stocks for months. While the available goods were pretty good, I am curious about the one they allegedly missed.

I entertained the idea of using a shuriken for combat, but I don't think I have the skill or the time to master one if I even purchase one. My guide was more content on chewing on some lettuce I bought for her from the grocery stalls at the port.

I also found a single tame red fox wandering outside the convenience shop. What kind of convenience shop would sell weapons and items at the same place? I never went to any medieval era shop or even a Japanese Edo-period time. How was I supposed to know what they supposed to sell anyway? Little fox was tame, so I rub the spot behind his ears. He likes it, he wag his tail like a dog.

Anyway, the full focus of my exploration is the University of Port Ilias, the only proper school I found in this whole goddamn continent! Seriously, is education something that was considered taboo for them? Why there's no school at any other settlement I visited?! Why? Is knowledge something they secretly abhor? Or was it a privilege only for the wealthy?

Whatever, it was not in my position to question anything about this world. I am just one traveller out of many more to come, and I believe that changes might be far away. But I will do what I can, and the only thing I can do right now is to learn what this school of philosopher can teach me.

The lobby itself established the reputation of a school of knowledge just from the first step taken. Scrolls after scrolls of undecipherable hieroglyphs and runes adorn the walls besides several old painting of bearded old men, whom were possibly the founding father of this University.

There were three way I can choose; left hallway, right hallway and the stairs straight ahead. I chose the left one naturally. What greets me first was the strange sensation of weight that creeps at the base of my neck like a wild beast, breathing down at my nape as if waiting for a bite from my delicious flesh, and a group of students huddling around a glowing pentagram. I would make an Ouija Board joke, but I am much more mature than that. Plus I also got myself distracted by the shelves of books nearby a small pool of crystal clear water. Why is there a pool inside a campus near a pile of probably important stacks of parchment is beyond me, but books are one of the things I spent my hard-earned money on, even when I have the PDF version in my phone.

Speaking of phone…My fucking phone is gone. There's nothing.

Pah, I don't need that anyway. It's not like we can have signal here anyway.

I grabbed one of the tomes from the shelves. _Semen 101: The secret depth behind man's love juice._ Yep, I would TOTALLY buy one if this was sold back home at my local MPH bookstore. I would love to spend some time reading here, but I have places to go.

Next stop is the right hallway from the first vestibules. It was a series of classroom in a single line across a hallway. I look into the first classroom in the hallway. They were teaching some kind of elemental stuff in here. I don't understand anything, so I can't describe it clearly. They were talking something about stones or something and how each stone have the imbuement of different elements in each stone. The instructor was holding a small black marble, which pulsed with dark energy every second.

I took the next staircase and witnessed the antic of the local students. Some were pacing to and fro, a matter of great importance which causes the deep furrows in their eyes to form. The smell of chemical was stronger up here, which somehow sharpened my senses and accelerate the adrenaline inside my body. The sharp smell of ammonia and sulphur assaulted my nostril and stung the back of my eyes like crazy, but it felt good. Am I a drug addict?

I then have a chat with the resident student there. They were busy working for their grades, yet they were taking it easy. I understand that feeling. I was a student like that too. It was actually hard to study about something that doesn't grab your attention or even make you crave more like a drug addict, most of what I learned back in school is just theoretical knowledge which only functions is to help me get higher on the social ladder.

I was a unique kid; I don't see why the hell we need good grades just to get to a higher social ladder. Can't I be friends with anybody without needing a huge fat diploma stuck up my ass? Seriously, many jobs would net higher income than an explorer's job, but does that mean I'm happy if I worked there? No, I am not happy. Being a high-income doctor means nothing if you can't enjoy life and work at the same time.

Look at me, I am now an explorer who has travelled to one of the craziest places unknown to mankind, and most importantly, I'm happy with my job. That alone was enough for me. I love seeing the world, I love seeing the beauty overlooked by many just because petty numbers in bank account worth more than the daffodils in the backyard.

I like learning, but I like learning on my own term. That's what people don't get, and that's how I manage to know so much. I learn not because for the grades, I learn because I was curious.

They also were learning, and the best part is most of them were actually passionate about their field of studies, something I deemed very rare and respectable in my school days. One dude got into a long speech about the effect of Tartarus Rift on the historical geography of the land throughout the century. Having no prior knowledge of this world's political, geographical and historical facts, I was swept away as the youth passionately speak about the Great War many centuries ago and how a village was destroyed by it. Hey, at least I found a new location to visit. Ruins were beautiful in their own defences. Rostrum…Gotta check that out.

There's something wonderful I found here, and that's not about their incredibly lusty and hot nurse. It was something I have not seen until I became an adult…Passion.

Passion in their work, it was something I almost never saw. When I was a student, everybody was busy catching up with their grades or trying to get better grades, but nobody ever stop and ask why. Nobody ever stop and think about the reason why we started studying for future. We forgot the passion that started us in the tracks we are going back then.

Back then it was curiosity that drives me forward. Why? What? When? Where? Who? How? That curiosity is what drives me toward the library and cracked the lid of Great Expectation and lose myself in the world of classics. Curiosity is the fuel that drives my eyes between the pages, my mind waltzing along with the characters all the way to the final page.

Knowledge was the by-product of my curiosity driving me forward. The more I ask, the more I learn, the more I learn, and the more I ask. This curiosity is what drives me forward to become an explorer.

So many people tries to attain knowledge without curiosity, they end up a shadow of their former selves. Knowledge is the by-product of the question asked. Question came from curiosity. Without curiosity, the pursue of knowledge is just nothing but a meaningless task that will consume the very core of humanity without knowing how or why.

But this is the problem I faced back in high school; curiosity is stomped right out of our ass and replaced with cold, hard fact. The heart-warming sensation that curiosity brought when finding the answer for a question was replaced by the weary ache that hurts the joint in our body and soul as we are forced to rehearse the final product over and over again, despite not knowing why it was asked in the first place. In the end, all you create was just unfeeling machines programmed to handle certain task, never asking why, just when it must be done.

I looked back in the past, and I never regretted every single moment I asked why.

I told the youth that whatever happened next is up to him. I told him that not understanding anything is good, as it gave you a good reason why to search for an answer. I told him to follow where the question leads to, that question would bring him places. I told him that curiosity is a virtue, and he will find happiness once he captures the answer he asked.

He smiled, and then he thanked me for my advice. I felt like a badass mentor now. All I need is a flowing white beard and a staff, and I'm set.

It would take me forever to read the books here, and I have places to be.

I want to get upstairs, but a guard stopped me on my tracks, saying that many dangerous chemical and equipment as handled up there and only scholars was allowed up there.

The smell of napalm was strong up there, and I have an overwhelming urge to follow the scent.

I exited the university in an orderly fashion, and then I quietly crept behind the campus, passing the disgruntled middle-aged drunkard just at the side of the school. He spouts something about the line of school not teaching you shit. I retorted by saying that the reason he sucks because he expect school to hand everything on his silver platter without him lifting a finger like a lazy drunkard he was. I told him that it was his fault. If he wants knowledge so bad, then don't rely on only one medium. Life is a school, and mistakes were our teacher.

Anyway, passing that dude I got at the back of the school like nothing. It was a three-story high white building, something that was normal in my usual urban exploration trip. Parkour is my favourite past time, so I just climbed the wall like a beast I was. They really should repair the damned cracks in the wall. And maybe, I don't know, don't add any decorative motifs of Ilias and her giant boobies that I can use as a handhold if you want to keep me grounded?

Anyway, nobody actually gave a shit about me just appearing through the window, except one pompous looking motherfucker. He looks around middle-aged, yet his step was haughty and his voice was high. He said that only scholars were allowed here.

I told him that I give zero fucks about his accomplishment nor his dick size, I just want to explore this place and learn more, and I'll be happy to teach him a little lesson about the effect of projectile on soft flesh from a certain high-powered launcher if he insists.

He then goes down toward the stairs, probably trying to get the guard. I crawled myself in and dove into a huge pile of books to my right. The guard came up when I was getting comfortable in my hiding tomes of wisdom. Rows of shelves surrounds me at my left, right and flank of me, each bookshelves filled to the brim with wisdom that I would love to peruse. While he was busy checking the window, I prepared the sleeping potion from the merchant back in Pornof, wanting to know how good it was.

The guard disappeared from my line of sight, slowly descending back to the staircase he was guarding. The professor was still pissed that I escaped, so I decided to play a little prank on him. I shouted at him, pretending that I was a student asking for help for my ' _The effect of Wind element on gravity_ '. He fell for it hook, line and sinker. Jumped at that dude and snuffed him with the sleeping potion. Fucker was knocked out in just a quick second and a half.

The students around him were just giggling like a bunch of schoolboys or something despite their age. Judging by their reaction, I believe that they are not in good term with their professor. Most of them wore a simple blue robe and hat that screams scholar all over the place. I grinned and proceed to strip the teacher naked. They were highly uncomfortable at this; some even literally crossed themselves as I removed his pants. I let him keep his boxers, I'm not that cruel. I then bundled up the whole package and threw it over the window like I own the place. They hooted with laughter at my action.

Now, I am free to explore the area.

To my right was the original library I was taking refuge in. It was not a huge library, but a library is a library, I would love to waste my days here. To my left, a wide space was made in the middle of the room with tables placed at the corner of the room. Most of the pupils are doing certain calculation on a piece of paper. To the west of the room there was a student who was drawing a map of the whole continent. It seems he was combining the rifts in the whole continent to each other. I don't know what's going on, so I just leave him be.

But there's something I was dying to check out, the chemical station. Oh how I miss you explosion mixture! I want to make the strongest weed ever and just drift away into the rainbow sunset!

Forget I said that last part…

Anyway, the dude manning the chemical station was mixing some chemicals around inside his chemistry set. Several beakers were filled with different coloured liquid, which was surprisingly colour-coded for conveniences. While such clichéd technique is still considered legit in the mind of amateurs, I believe that the chemical composition of food colouring inside any highly reactive chemicals is not a good idea.

It was soothing to saw the liquid flow slowly from a single beaker into another beaker through a series of white clear tubes, more so when you saw the drops of inky black acid fell onto a beaker of weak alkaline. It was mesmerising to see such liquid convalescence within each other.

Don't get me wrong, I also love mixing powder up and watch as the fine sand reacts terrifyingly under low pressure heat. But you know what I love best? Mixing harmless chemicals into terrifyingly lethal weaponries. Napalm from coffee cream and hell, maybe salt? Cause why not?

That is the beauty of practical science. You can do something that even you would be surprised to make one. I once tried to make a flame bomb by filling a bottle with grease and setting it on fire like a proper Molotov, but here's the catch, there's a fragile water bomb stuck underneath the bottle. It creates one of the biggest flames I ever made in the past. I wasn't even expecting it to work!

Anyway, that dude has a table of chemical composition about almost every item derived from the natural environment. I asked him if I can have a copy of that chemical table. He agreed, saying that a fellow alchemist gotta help each other. While making explosives is not what he has in mind, I believe that knowledge is something that should be shared. In return of him giving me the table, I showed him the composition needed to make my bullets as well as the operating system of a bolt-action firearm. I might be messing up this world more by teaching medieval alchemist how to make modern guns… but I don't give a single fuck.

Suck on that Rabbity hoe.

I also met a female student, who was secretly a Battle Fucker. Sweet mother of Altair, behind that soft visage and her cute nerd glasses hide a thot waiting to strike!

To be honest, is there even any female here who is NOT a thot in any way possible?

Her name was Fizz, just like the noise when I popped open a cold can of Coca Cola in the morning. She has a pair of soft purple eyes which exudes an aura of innocence despite her…'occupation'. She finally explained to me what did each imbuement does.

Fire, Lightning, Earth, Ice, Crystal, and Wind did what it was advertised for. She explained to me that Aqua element was usually used for training with projectile weaponries as they change the projectile into water. To conserve the original damage of the projectile, the projectile is a form of high-pressured water that hurts like the real deal. Fortunately, it can be negated by wearing proper equipment. It was our equivalent to paintball. They even can personalize their projectile by using different coloured liquid.

She said that while she was no expert, she knew that I would benefit from the increased speed from Wind-imbued equipment. She said that for my combat style, my armour definitely use wind. She said that my guns would be best equipped with Earth, Instant Death, or Flame imbuement. Earth for the extra punch in every shot, Instant Death for one hit kill, and flame to burn my enemies. She said that knife's would benefit a lot from either Wind or Lightning as one increases their attack speed while the others stunned an enemy long enough for another decisive blow.

Thanks girl. With that said, I left the group of student to their own antic and exited through the same window I used to get in, only to see the same guard looking up with a pissed off look in his face. The same professor was standing beside him, looking as smug as ever. I just shrugged my shoulder and climbed out anyway.

To make it even more fun, I climbed higher and higher until I reached the roof. It was a very good idea for me. The roof shows even more area in the whole village. I can finally see the whole port and the sea clearly.

The sea was a wide expanse of blue curtain that drapes across the horizon, its velvet surface waved and sparkled as the sun cast its everlasting glow upon the surface. Over the horizon, I saw a dark spot, a dark column of grey clouds that concentrated on a single area. Observation through my rifle scope yield me with a vision of a ship in mortal peril, the harsh wind buffeted the sails from left to right, the canvas barely hanging on as the wind picked up pace. Is this the dreaded storm they kept talking about?

How the hell can a ship go through that? And how can a bell help?

Whatever, life's way too short to deny everything. If they believe a bell can protect them, I won't bother them.

The guard and the professor were tired of waiting for my sorry ass, so I climbed down slowly. I don't want to break my ankle now.

Latina was waiting for me on the ground, she was not happy that I just up and ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. I told her that I'll be dead if that happens. Anyway, I have done my duty here, so…Off I go to ENRIKA!

Except that Latina never actually got there. She has heard about the place, but she never actually set foot to the settlement, even lay an eye on it. She said that they were hidden deep in the area of Lost Wood. She says that unless we are armed with proper equipment I can kiss my virginity good bye. She even said that she never got way too deep in. That place was too strong even for her.

I told her that I can make her a freaking rifle like mine, except it was attached with a bayonet so she can use it as a rifle and a spear at the same time. She said that she prefer her iron spear. Unless I can get her a golden spear…

Deal. I heard that there's quite a good amount of gold hidden in an Abandoned Mines near Midas Village. But as it is abandoned, I believe that there's no good reason for the place to be empty. From what I learned from my experience in this world, there will always be a catch. And as from what I faced before, I believe that the mines would be filled to the brim with monsters.

I have Latina at my side, maybe they will listen to reasons?

Nope.

Harpy feather makes travel easy, so I ask her to get me there and get ready for combat. She sighed, but complied anyway. The mouth of the cave is no different the one I faced back in Pornof's mine, just another cave mouth with wooden brackets supporting the cave system. There was a train tracks going through the cave. Through intense self-control, I manage to stop myself from finding a minecart and wanting to ride the whole way through. Like always, I abandoned my rifle for pistol and bayonet.

I took point as I was more equipped to fight in close-quarter combat in cramped situation.

The cave system was much more bearable than the last one. Pornof's mine has not a single torch that can light the way. I and Andrew only rely on our natural night vision when the Mimic attacked. Plus, the cavern comprised of hard granite stone, which is understandable.

Midas was different. Even if it was abandoned, the torches that lit the whole spacious mining operation were still burning, like someone has been taking care of those torches. If someone was taking care of these torches, it means that someone is still operational down here. I just hope that they are friendly.

Unlike Pornof's cold grey granite wall, Midas here have some kind of orange-yellowish clay wall and stone, which was surprisingly softer than any stone I found. That put me on guard. If the stones here are soft, it means that there's a good reason that this cave system would crash down on our head when we were sleeping or something. Not only that, I also found several train tracks which I imagined was once used by the miners in the past. Some part of the track was broken, destroying the idea of riding a minecart on my way out. I always wanted to ride in a mine cart.

Anyway, true to my deduction enemies were aplenty in this mine and I really wished I had one of those bracelets Hito said in his note. I fought against girls who were made out of pink candles; their body slowly melt as they chucked flame toward our direction. I fought against Leech Girls and Mandragoras which is plentiful in the mines. I finally saw them in their full glory. Like always, they are buck naked girls. They have a dark skin colour which reminds me of an Indian woman I have as a friend in the past. Their hair is what enraptured me. Their hair depicts the brown flowing root of mandrake's root, which flowed into the ground and presumably rooted itself to the spot. On top of it were three slender green leaves which I recognized as the same one I used to conceal myself back in Pornof's mine a few days ago. I am so glad I bought the curing leaves; her scream was stunning, and not in a good way. I can't move my body at all. Worst, I can even feel the pain the mandrake creature wrought upon my lifeless body despite the paralyzed state I'm in. That sucks ass.

But it was not all that bad; fighting them nets me not only item and gold, but combat experience which would help me tremendously in the future. Candle Girls were weak against flame, despite their affinity to said element. Latina said that it because they sacrificed their body to feed the inner flame they contained as to wield said flame against their foes. Their body was a fuel for the flame to keep burning, much like the wax of a candlestick. She said that they are the ones who might be responsible for the lighting of this cavern due to their affinity to flame.

If that's the case, then every Candle Girl out in the mines were put on a horrendously slow torture on their own will to keep the flame going in the mine, lest the mine grew dark and its inhabitant would fall to the darkness. That's ascetic level of determination right there. Instant respect.

I also encountered my first Roper Girl, whom I wished I never will face again. How do I put it? Imagine a dick with an incomplete condom, except the condom was split in the middle, showing off its scarlet meat underneath it. The condom was made from green hard carapace, which would be very painful for any maiden to receive such service. Instead of the usual mushroom head of a penis, a woman's body sprouted from the top of the meat tube. Like always, buck naked. I simply stopped caring about the D-sized tits them all rocking after a few days in this madhouse of a world. She has long purple hair which matches the colour of her numerous slimy tentacles. To top it off, the first one I encountered had the derpiest look I ever saw, like she was fighting me just for the lols.

First off, she was hostile. She just took a single glance then boom! Super Tentacle Galore Deluxe! That's not all; her fucking tentacles grip like iron chains. Wait there's more! Her slime fucking hurt! It's like being doused with strong acid, it didn't get through my cloth, but the exposed part on my wrist was badly injured. It came as a slight irritation, and then the pain comes later on. She took punches like a damn champion; I might still be punching her derpy face if not for my lovely guide to skewer her at her spine.

I really, really wished I have Hito's bracelet. I bet he got it easy, just waltzing along the countryside never got ambushed once, but wondering where's all the monster at. He might probably befriend some of them; it's easy to befriend something that does not attack you outright.

It won't help thinking about him. What I need to find is gold, and I wished that there's still some in the exposed mines yet. I don't want to bust out the pickaxe anytime soon.

A single Ilias Herb down the hatch and off we goes into the fray again. I honestly don't know what ticks them off that much. Am I not the same fucker who saved the girls back in Pornof's mountain back there? Should they all have some restrain from attacking a dude who helped some of their young species?

Thanks to Latina's advice, I overcome my aversion to chest and cracked open many a chest in the mines, looting their glorious treasure. I found a golden rapier in one of the boxes that I looted from. I asked if she would like a fine blade such as this. She said that rapier is a poor choice for a Centaur as they are not nimble enough to wield one and their body was way too large to use one. She asked me whether I want to use one or not. I declined naturally; I have neither the skill nor the time to master such weapons. Plus, do you want to stab a 7 foot high behemoth with a highly brittle blade?

But we struck gold, literally. We found a good amount of gold dust, which I believe would be enough to make her spear and armour. I brought the rapier too; a solid gold blade can fetch a good prize to a good collector. I entertained the idea of forging gold coins with the dust I collected. Latina threw my idea out of the ring, body-slammed it down to the ground, and performs a finisher with a chair that she found at the back stage.

While gold coins are the standard currency of trade due to their inherent value, the real problem they faced is how much each coin's worth in real time. To combat that, Kingdom of San Ilia decided to mint the standardized gold currency to give exact value in each item. She said that the economy works much more stable than the previous era, which bartering with gold bars were very cumbersome. She said that there was a rumour of the king wanting to introduce a new currency in the form of paper, but it's just rumours.

She said that every gold coin minted in San Ilia has a certain prefix that only the capital bank can use. While counterfeit gold coin is still acceptable (they're still gold) it is considered to be inferior in value compared to normal Ilia gold coins. She also said that I ran the risk of landing in jail if caught using that in any respectable shop or city.

Fuck me. I thought that I can just make my own gold coin just like that! Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

I asked her if she knew anybody that can forge me some good coins. She said that she knew of this one forger, while she was a little bit under the radar, she knew how to mint some good coins. She also said that she accept semen as payment for the gold, which she believe that I can freely provide. Again with these semen shit. I should return to the university and pick up the same book earlier. What was it called? A guide to man's love juice or something?

I asked my guide why the fuck did everything revolves around semen. She said that there was a very ancient and potent magical essence from semen due to their ability to create life inside a mother's womb. She said that the life-giving essence of semen not only invigorates any monster consuming it, it also boosted any monster's inner essence, allowing them to ascend to higher level in the world.

So it's like fucking Nirvana in a dick? Sweet mother of god, I don't know that my penis was much more valuable than all the gold in the world!

She said that my penis is a double-edged sword which a simple misstep can kill me instead of my enemy. There's a reason why there's a pleasure imbuement and pleasure attacks. Hell, I can dedicate a whole page about pleasure if I want to. Having sex with a Monster Girl was considered taboo, yet they were surprisingly acceptable in the present.

Pleasure is a dangerous tool in anybody's hand, monster or otherwise. Through manipulation of sexual desire a person can influence anybody to obey all their orders, as long as they can provide the sexual stimulation that compels them to join in the first place. But to prevent all the males from gaining instant harem, he must instead endure every sexual teasing the female gave. If a man can resist from ejaculating from a woman then he can finally be worthy to be a master.

But there's another catch, a Monster Girl is very good at making a man come. If they made him come, she instantly became the master. The man too, won't find any other woman at all because he was already a prisoner to the pleasure given by the woman. Even if you can control a Monster Girl by making her come before you do, it won't work on any HUMAN opponent, hence why you only faced against human female in almost every Battle Fuck event, the negative effect of pleasure was rendered null against these women. Plus, every Monster Girls has different endurance. Many foolhardy warriors were defeated because they cannot resist the Girl's sexual technique at all.

But not every Monster Girls requires Battle Fucking to recruit them into the group, some would join in their own accord after fighting them several time. Monster Girls were attracted to the strength of males they were fighting as that would guarantees a strong offspring in the future. Much like an animal, a Monster Girl will always mate with the strongest male despite the available albeit less-quality male.

It means that if I show them whose boss, I can get my own harem. Jesus Christ, this is not what I had in mind…

To be honest, I really am glad this system existed. It's not because I can benefit from it, it because it can prevent the shit I always see in every manga I read back home. Seriously, who wants to watch an idiot collecting harem just by being an idiot? And who in the holy flying hell of mad insane fuckery would actually agree to become one? I mean, you already knew he's an idiot, you knew he has other girls, hell maybe 6 other girls? Why the fuck did you want that tool? I mean, can't the protag at least shows a good reason of deserving a woman, let along 6 other than being a nice guy?

I served my mistress for years now, and did she actually view me more than a friend? No, she did not. I worked with a beautiful scientist for years, collecting samples while she was busy investigating my previously collected artefact in the safety of her lab, did I deserve to tap that ass? Yes, but do I want to? Yes again, but would she like it? No, she won't. I've proven myself to be a competent explorer and man, honourable and loyal to their cause. I proved myself over and over again that I am capable of getting shit done, unlike their previous employee. Why is it so hard for me just to get something more from my mistress? I just wanted a cuddle, nothing else! Even that was too far for them! If a workhorse like me cannot have that ass, then how a useless dolt can have up to 9 girls all fighting for him?

I really hate that genre with a passion. I knew it's what they call as a power fantasy for the young teenagers out there, but seriously think for a moment, a girl needs someone who is dependable, someone who can have their back no matter what. A girl needs a man who is not only loyal, but capable of keeping their words. A girl needs a combat knife, rugged, hard and dependable. Why would they want a stupid dolt for a boyfriend? Can he do what a combat knife can do? Can he keep the girl alive no matter what? Can he fight to protect his love like a combat knife do? If not, then why bother? And no, love won't cover everything. Love is like a golden underpants. It's cute, expensive, but useless. What you want is a love like steel armour. You are the flesh and he is the armour, if the flesh dies then the armour is useless. If the armour is gone the flesh is vulnerable.

And most importantly, he is not useless.

To any fucker who was reading this, do me a favour and make sure that your girl does not regret the day she said yes to you. Improve yourself, read more, sleep more, eat more, train more, learn more. Be a better you, she deserve the best, and only you can provide that.

Starting something is hard, but finishing it is even harder. Be a better person and finish what you started. You are your own army, your own government, your own police force. You are responsible for your own action, and you must be ready and willing to fight for your freedom and others, for that is what it means to be free.

Anyway, I have the gold, I have my tools, and I have no reason to continue. I already explored every nook and cranny of the area. Unless I dig a new passageway, there's no way in hell I can explore more. I already scavenged what's left inside many chests in the area. Looters have been here before me, many chests yielded nothing but a few shiny trinkets at the bottom of the chest. It was a lucky break to find the rapier first off.

Using the thread and a Harpy feather, we returned to Midas Village and asked the local blacksmith to forge us some equipment from the gold dust we brought. I pawned off the rapier too, netting me some good coins along the way. I do need to pay for the equipment, but at least have more coins in my pocket now.

She ordered for a simple breast plate with a left and right shoulder pauldrons made from gold. She also bought a gold spear too. I told her that it will take every gold I have in my pocket to buy one. So I told her she better find the forger soon or else I we will soon running low on coins.

She said that for an explorer, I have a fondness for breaking the law.

I told her that while I was fine beating the shit out of girls, I still have my qualms on looting their 'corpses'. I told her that I rather not end up hunting down girls to fight just to rob them like a motherfucking bandit. It's not about it being wrong, it's just that such greed will rule in my heart and soon it will interfere with my decision-making capability. Plus, my opponents can also lure me to my death through my greed. It happened before a few days ago, and even then I was quite reluctant. In order to prevent the needs for banditry, I require a good supply of usable coins substitute.

She said that while my intention is nice, we would end up fighting more Monster Girls regardless of my intention. Judging by my current travelling behavior I believe that is the case.

Anyway, we are tired from our adventure, so I decided that we should rest up at the nearest tavern. The tavern was a little bit dank and cold, but it's still hospitable. She paid for the night as I paid for her new armour and weapon. Well, what do you expect? This town is being infested by slugs. It doesn't even look any different at all. Still slimy.

I asked one of them what happened to the annual clean up. They said that it does nothing in the end. The remaining slugs somehow kept creating more slime despite most of them returning back to the tower. They find out that no matter what happens, this village would end up slimed for a long time.

I noticed that while they were considered pest, nobody actually tries their hardest to actually purge them all.

I'll head over to the Slums tomorrow. Wish me luck journal.


	15. Chapter 15

14xx/5/14 Johannes Calendar

Equipped with new equipment and knowledge, I decided to set my foot on Nameless Slum to find the elusive forger. I am an explorer, and it's my job to explore the place. Latina said that I should be on my guard all the time as that place is filled with low-life and criminals. If I close my eyes just for the moment I can get robbed.

Yeah, that's why I always carry a gun and knife. That is no different than my everyday life. I really can't get myself away from crime huh?

I would love to see someone tries to rob my ass with a cheap-ass knife when I'm packing a 0.45 in my pocket. I am human, and I need some ego boost time to time.

Anyway, she looks beautiful in her golden armour. She was confident with her new weaponries and she said that she likes to test out her new weapon at the Slums. She said that there is a Phoenix Feather trafficking at the slums. She said that I can buy Phoenix Feather dirt cheap there. It is illegal, but nobody actually cared for a small crime ring in the middle of nowhere.

Another Harpy Feather and we found ourselves standing outside a village, or what's left of it. It was a mess. It was a collection of ramshackle building in a barren plain field surrounded by high mountain ranges. Its location rendered the area remote, and their only access to the outside world is a cave system connecting this land with the outside world. My guide said that the cave system was filled with challenging enemies; so many people just stay in the slums. They may be thugs, but most of them are actually cowards.

Several wooden buildings were situated in the inner sanctum of the slums. The slums were protected by several broken walls which is actually part of a bigger structure if it was never broken in the first place. The cinderblock walls were laughably uselessly broken. The only thing I can use them is to provide cover if I engaged the population in a shootout. Several tents were pitched in-between the area between each small cinderblocks, making the place suffocating small.

I saw a single tent which has the smell of semen that wafted from the tent's flapping canvas. I saw two men outside the tent, knocked out cold. I asked one of them why the fuck are they sleeping out in the open outside a cum-stained tent. They said that the tent is actually a Battle Fuck arena and they were hoping to win an artefact there. They lost because the bitch in there is very good in what she did.

I'm not gonna risk a Critical Ecstasy for a simple bracelet, so I pass.

I found a bar that is dilapidated. The wooden walls were covered with slime and kelp, and it was not from a Slug Girl, or even Slime Girls. The sharp smell of alcohol and ammonia wafted from the tavern door. I reluctantly walked inside with my guide trailing behind me.

The tavern was dirty and cluttered by several broken furniture, but there are several other people sitting at the counters, drinking yellow bubbly beer from large glass. One of them were wearing a large black hood over her his head that conceals his or her face. I am attracted to that dude, so I approach him/her and pulled a tall seat beside him/her.

It's a he. He has a deep, raspy voice that no amount of beer can wash away. He said that a certain woman by the name of Don Dahlia has the monopoly of the Feather trade. It was very secretive and their only front is her only. It seems that it was a one woman mission.

He also said that I came way too late to obtain the feathers. Don Dahlia was busted by a young hero who just appeared out of nowhere and capped her ass. Even took out her primary feather supply. Now, she ends up as a Battle Fucker. Fuck.

Anyway, I asked him who's the focken forger is. He said that I am looking at his agent.

Latina warned me that I should not trust anybody that easily. I told him to give me proof. He conjured a single gold coin from his purse. I grabbed the coin from his finger to take a look… Then my guide shouted at me to watch out.

One of his lackey, a youth in a black robe were down on the ground thanks to my guide. As fast as lightning, the same person grabbed me by the lapel and pointed his dagger at my throat, telling me that I should not do something stupid if I want to live.

If I don't do stupid shit, then I would never become the person I am now.

I quickly swiped the knife away and pushed the bastard away, knocking him off the chair. His fall triggers a chain reaction where everybody suddenly jumped forward and starts to land punches on each other. Latina makes a good use of her legs and kicked one opponent right out of a window reminiscent of an old Wild-West fisticuff.

The owner grabbed a club and uses it to fend off some dudes trying to get over the counter. I am a bit busy with my would-be robber, who thought it was a good idea to bring a knife in a gun fight. Blasted a hole right in his thigh and shut up the whole bar quiet and proper.

The whole tavern stared at my direction, bewildered by the sudden explosion from my gun. I pointed my pistol at his face, telling him why the hell he tried to steal shit from me. I told him the next round will go to his dick if he answers it wrong. Motherfucker blubbed like a fish at my threat. Turns out he was nothing more than a simple thug in a thug neighbourhood.

This little fiasco just net me some street cred, so I don't think they gonna try something that stupid. Or else, they probably try to jump on me while I'm here. This whole slums probably their whole fucking territory for all I know.

Great, it's Miami all over again.

I asked my guide to find me where the hell the forger was, or else I have to kill everybody here. She said that I gotta prepare myself for a fight after that shit I done. I didn't learn how to shoot just to become an easy victim. All that stupid gun law crap back in America only creates more defenceless victim for criminal element to victimize. Seriously, a criminal won't stop charging balls to the walls if he was fully intent on inflicting harm on others. The law is the last thing in the mind of a mass murderer before he turns his AK-74 to a schoolyard.

Like I stated in my previous entry, only you are responsible of your own safety, and only you are capable of providing protection when the world decided to throw a challenge in your face. The only thing that stops a bad man with a gun is a good man with a gun.

I found Don Dahlia in a tent, serving a man with her armpit. I literally jumped back when I saw the meat tube wedged between her arms. I don't know the squirting distance of a semen blaster, but I don't have protective armour for my face.

I waited for her to finish her job outside. I asked Latina where in the holy hell did her forger buddy were hiding at. She said that she should be somewhere here, she just doesn't remember where. That woman better be here, I came for my gold coins, there's nothing good I can do with gold dust except electricity conductor.

A loud, lust-filled scream came from inside the tent, penetrating both my ears and my guide's ears. Minutes later, the same young man stumbled out of the tent, his gait was clumsy and his face was dirty and pale. His trousers were hastily applied to his own leg, which were getting even lower every second. The young man wages a war of attrition with gravity as he tries his best to stay upright. Gravity wins the round, and the young man fall face-first into the ground, his bare bum finally show its ugly face as the youth's loosely-fitting trousers fell off his legs. I resisted the urge to kick it, I am a gentleman above all, I think?

I slowly entered the tent, my handgun loaded and ready to rumble. I left my rifle with Latina. I observed the woman's appearance. She has a short, scruffy hair that shines bright copper despite the shade inside the tent. She wore a simple red trainer bra and short torn jean which slouches dangerously low around her hip. Her half-lidded blue eyes stared at me with a certain greediness always seen in a criminal's eye. They never learned.

I asked her where I can find the forger, as I don't want to walk around in this world without extra coins in my pocket. It may be illegal, but gold is still gold, they still have an inherent value despite who made them.

She said that I came way too late as that woman has already left the slums. She said that the woman just up and left, saying that she were going to the Lost Woods to meet an old friend. She said that as long as she knew her, Rav is a loner.

She also offered me a ticket of some sort, which allows me to have some alone time with her. I seriously have no reason to tap that ass. Who knows how much STD she got lurking just in her armpit after days of rubbing it on ten meat dick every fucking day. I bid her farewell and meet up with Latina, telling her that the forger is now heading toward the Lost Woods to meet some old buddies. I told her we would follow the same route as that would end up as one of my eventual travelling destination.

She said that I should visit an abandoned castle just at the south of the slums. That grabbed my attention faster than the speed of light. An abandoned castle is just my jam. Without further ado, I mounted her back and told her to get running (We ran out of Harpy feather that time). She just sighed and took off like a bat out of hell. SPEED IS KEY!

Anyway, it took us just around a few minutes of riding just to reach the broken down castle. The outer walls were broken in several places as if it was bombarded by cannons and trebuchet in its last day. The brown stone blocks littered the area in and around the castle courtesy of the broken wall. Despite its apparent uselessness I believe I can rebuild the wall with some help if I need somewhere to hide out.

The inner sanctum of the castle was surprisingly hollow, which I assumed was the work of the previous looters and besieger of this castle in the past. What remains of the castle is an impressive stone ruins that somehow still capable of providing shelter if needed. While the walls were cracked and dirty, it still rock solid under my observation, which is a relief. I don't want it to crumble just when I was about to go to sleep.

I opened the large double mahogany door at the end of the main hallway. Instead of a throne room, I was greeted by a series of pedestal surrounding a single square structure in the middle of the room. I observed one of the altars that surround the square structure. It was simply a block of rectangular raised stone with an inscription underneath the furniture.

 _Piercing Moon Spear, dedicated for the quick._

There was an indentation in the rectangular block that should've held the spear in question, which is currently missing in action. Knowing that crying over spilt milk was useless I decided to investigate the rest of the pedestals in this particular room.

 _Star Rhyme Staff, dedicated for the pure…_

It cannot be tainted if it never exists in the first place.

 _High Lotus Bow, dedicated for the righteous…_

Who decides who is right, the bow? I'm not gonna take a weapon that questions everything about my life already, that's my job.

 _Flickering Dust Dagger, for the skilful…_

Anybody who trained long enough can be a master, and I knew I trained for a long time. If only it was there for me to take it…

 _Power Wave Axe, for the proud…_

What happen if the user secretly ashamed of himself?

 _Four Ruins Katana, dedicated for the serene…_

My mind is a constant state of madness and chaos that can only be calmed through motion and Coca Cola. Excuse me, I gotta take another sip.

 _Whip of the Immortal, dedicated for the noble…_

What? A whip is traditional BDSM equipment, and nobles usually partake in much more gentlemanly conquest. If a whip is dedicated to an immortal, then does it mean it was to be used by an immortal noble BDSM enthusiast?

 _Dark Thunder Scythe, dedicated for the sharp…_

Speaking of sharp, I really need to polish my knife more. It got slimed and gooed every second I'm in this mad land.

 _Tremor Sword, dedicated for the valiant…_

How can a valiant knight use a sword if he was shaking so badly while using it?

 _Thunder Retribution Fist, dedicated for the passionate…_

NEVER STOP FIGHTING! RUSH B! CYKT BLAT! FOR MOTHER RUSSIA! NOT ONE STEP BACKWARD!

 _Disaster Sentence Great Sword, dedicated for the intense…_

My birth was one of my most intense disasters that have ever happened to me…

 _Flowing Sky Strong sword, dedicated for the fierce…_

Wait, so you're telling me all the previous sword before you is just a weak virgin sword? How am I supposed to know that there's such thing as a chad strong sword?

 _Foolish Beast Fang, dedicated for the wild…_

Whoever broke off its tooth to use as a handheld weapon is damn foolish.

 _Chirping Fang, dedicated for the beautiful…_

Can fang chirp?

 _Soaring Bird's Throwing, dedicated for the inquisitive…_

Nani the fuck? What is it? It is a throwing star, or a throwing tomahawk? Maybe a short sword? Dagger? Boomerang? What the fuck am I supposed to throw with? A literal fucking bird?! Is that it? Am I supposed to throw literal pigeons around?!

…Holy shit, I am asking so many damn questions over a non-existent weapon. That is a very powerful weapon…

 _Crimson Roar Rapier, dedicated for the honourable…_

I don't even know if I'm honourable or not.

 _Soul Revival Blade, dedicated for the concealed…_

Maybe that's why it was invisible?

 _Gun of Soul Howl, dedicated for the firm…_

Firm what? Firm chest? Firm thighs? Or firm ass? And if so, what kind of gun? Laser gun? Magic gun? Bolt-action? Semi-auto? Automatic? Blowback? Break-action? Pump-action? Derringer?

 _Ring world's magic Staff, dedicated for the enlightened…_

I have so fucking many dirty jokes I can make with this staff already, and it doesn't even exists!

Each of them was dedicated to certain individuals with certain virtue with corresponding weapon type. While each of them has different virtue and type, they all shared one distinct trait shared by all of such legendary weaponries… Missing.

Yep, like Hito's legendary dick size it was still a legend, something that might not be real at all. You can argue that it's real, how can you make a pedestal for something that does not exist?

Parody, representation, worship, any fucking reason other than existing. Do you know how many representation of Heaven in all religion that exists over the past millennium? And we don't even know if it actually exists! So many bloody crusades happened just to defend something that might not even exist at all! Who knows?

Each of them probably was erected in symbolism of some great warriors in the past with different weapon type, hence why each pedestal said different things. Hero worship and beliefs can make human do crazy shit in the past; I doubt it that it's any different here.

Even if these weapons actually exist they might probably be looted first and foremost. For all I know those weapons were the reason why the sieges of the castle in the past took place in the first place!

Stressing over a weapon that was missing won't do me any good, so I decided to explore the living shit out of the castle.

The castle was broken down, most of the hallways and room were filled to the brim with rubble from the past sieges. My guide waited at the weapon pedestal room as her large body prevents her from doing some good ol' urban exploring.

The castle was big, bigger than I expected. I managed to climb over a large mountain of rubble that collapsed in a hallway, revealing the noon sky. I managed to get to the second floor, which took the brunt of the abuse. So many gaping holes dotted the stone floor to the point of it being literally a valley of death. Several wooden beams still hold strong among the chasm, which I applaud their determination as I used them as my jumping pad.

Jumping from one beam to another like a frog, I make my way to the royal chamber. Nothing was left up here, not even a curtain to cover their windows. I bathed in the light of the sun; the pure white glow illuminated the room where kings of higher standing have slept in the past. The said bed which the king might sleep on is barren too, not even the mattress was spared. This is bullshit! It took me some acrobatic skill to get up here, how the hell this room wasn't spared?!

A single creak behind me got my attention. I quickly jumped to the side and aimed my rifle at the door, waiting to take out the would-be intruder. It was Latina herself. She was bored, so she went out of the room and went around the castle. She found a relatively intact staircase that connects to the rest of the level. Using said staircase brought her here to the damned room I was in.

So I can just practically skip all the parkour just by taking a stair?

On second thought, when did I ever turn down a parkour opportunity?

Looking outside, I saw the walls that protect the castle from its attacker so faithfully in the past outside the window. While the cracks that dotted the walls were filled with moss and mildew, the rock wall still looks formidable against any invading enemy despite the years. I wondered what length the attacker went to finally breach this impregnable barricade.

Probably an 8 pound iron cannonball from black heavy iron cannon.

I realized that there is more of the castle, so I decided to explore the area of the castle much more thoroughly.

Not much can be seen around or even the outside of the castle. Anything worth of value has been stripped away, leaving behind empty training field and rubble-littered courtyard. The royal garden at the back of the castle is now an overgrown forest teeming with life. The only thing that signifies its original purpose is a pair of broken arches. The stone arches are a part of a gate that might have been the entrance of the garden itself. Creepers snake around the stone pillar, signifying the amount of time passed ever since the fateful day.

Latina advised against going in as that place would be filled with Monster Girls.

I agree with her completely.

Anyway, waiting around is not something I want to do, so I continues my travel around the castle. I found the military training ground, just a circle of clear dirt ground surrounded by low wooden fences. I also saw a strip of clear ground that I believe they used to joust in the past tournament and training. The only trinket I found was a simple copper sword, scratched and dented to oblivion. Several spot of brown blood dotted the blade and its handle, signifying its last use in the defence of this castle. But no one is in the castle.

That's right; nobody was in or around the castle, not evens their skeleton.

That disturbs me more than ever. Judging from what I gleaned from my previous exploration conquest, there should be around one type of Monster Girl for every form of living and dead thing in this world. My guide even said that there is a possibility that there is a Skeleton Girl type around here. If that's the case, then should it be like a freaking army of skeleton defending this place, like how they did in the past? Or are they were hiding in the castle, just waiting for me to drop my guard?

Fuck, now I'm fucking paranoid.

Aside from that sword, nothing else existed there, not even patches of blood to signify a struggle. What happened? Were the inhabitant of Mithra was attacked by a force so strong that it even obliterates the remaining corpses of the defender? If so, who were the attackers? A powerful magician who casted spells so strong even a drop of blood was not spared? Or an army of ghoul so ravenous that even the bones and blood of the defender were ravenously consumed by the attacker, down to the last man?

Looking at the training field, I have a strange sense of nostalgic in my heart like I have been here before. My mind then wondered far, my imagination starts to picture the scene of the castle before its destruction. A group of soldier, lounging around the circle as they watch the young fighters in the ring spar with their foot and fist. Two stable boys standing at the now derelict hut, watching the sparring soldier with a certain envy unnoticeable by any. At the west of the training ground, a princess is standing by, watching her warrior duke it out for her amusement.

Imagination is one hell of a hallucinogen. I can even hear the roar of laughter as one of the stable boys accidentally stepped on horseshit as he tries to get a closer look. The same stable boy smiled sheepishly as he proceeds to walk back into the stable, but his eyes of adoration is unnoticed by the smiling princess with blue hair, whom was amused by the turn of event.

Turns out, it was a fucking hallucination as I suddenly felt a sharp pain on my chest. The vision quickly dispersed, revealing a loop of green vine wrapped around my torso. I raised my head to witness the antagonist.

My new enemy this time is a double bitch cake in a rafflesia. I recognized the flower as its four red and white petals were unique to one flower only, and that is the carnivorous plant. Emerging from the hole in the middle of the flower is two naked women from breast to the top of the head. Below the breast are just chitins armour of green and a bed of pistils, undulating at the thought of its new victim. A host of green tentacles sprouted from the same hole, which were restraining my lovely horse companion's body.

The bastard slowly brought me toward its direction, intent on swallowing me alive. I struggled, but I cannot escape her grasp. She then proceeds to unbutton my pants. What the fuck. She then proceeds to massage my dick, making it erect in just a split second. Double the fuck. Every caress of her tentacle sent electric shock of pleasure into my spine, making me moan like a bad actor in a porn movie.

In her concentration of pleasuring my genital, her tentacles have loosened its grip.

Using the opportunity, I managed to get my right arm out of the bind. I managed to get my knife from my pack, which were helpful in my current situation. Quick as a lightning, I slashed my restrain, eliciting a shriek from the woman. Her grip instinctively tightens, eliciting a yelp of pain from my weary bones. Desperate and in pain, I hacked away at my binding, hoping that she'll let me go. The third cut did the trick, and I fell down into the sweet ground.

My guide manages to distract the flower thing by wiggling like a madman, giving me more time to react. Rolling away from her tentacle, I quickly snatched the same copper sword I found earlier. I knew that the only thing it was good for as a missile, so I threw it at her. The woman caught the sword and tossed it away. The distraction allows my guide to escape, letting her fell down on her knees.

I quickly pumped her full of 0.45 right at her chest, hoping that it might hurt her. The effect is just as I expected, a spray of green blood spurted from each bullet holes, effectively weakening the rafflesia girl.

My guide in unison then picked up her golden spear and skewered the girl at her back, puncturing them both in a line. She screamed one last time before disappearing from sight. We survived another ambush, and I survived another rape attempt.

After picking up a handful of gold and a harpy feather from its dust, we decided that we have enough of this castle, so we decided to book it.

Before I could will it, I heard a faint whisper at the back of my head, telling me to get back to the royal chamber. Latina insist that it was just the flower's hallucinogen that was playing a trick on me, she said that we should get back to Iliasville as fast as possible.

The whisper became stronger, and I found myself unable to deny its demand. My guide simply said 'fuck it' and just tagged along.

Following my instinct, I returned to the chamber. The chamber was still empty, but a growing feeling in my heart told me that it was not the case. I proceed to examine every part of the room again, but this time with much more consideration in detail. My inquisitive nature pays off, and I found a simple latch underneath the wooden bed. As it was hammered down, I cannot move it an inch. So I decided to just bash the wooden panel with the butt of my rifle. It was harder than it look, so I blasted several holes in the panel and asked Latina to kick it down with her horse hoof. She broke the iron-reinforced wood panel easily.

A hook was found on the floor over a square tab. I pulled it open, only to find a piece of paper with directions to a secret dungeon level at the royal dungeon.

My curiosity is on fire now, so I followed the direction and descended back to ground level. This time, I took the stairs.

After a long winding path through a series of interconnected hallway, I encountered a simple wooden door. It doesn't look much; just a simple door consisted of planks and iron. The door was unlocked, so I let myself in. The door was small, but the room inside it was not. My guide can follow me this time, albeit with little difficulty.

A long row of cold, bleak cell block greets me. What do I expect in a motherfucking dungeon? It was dark, so I equipped my lighter to relight the torches in the room, hoping that it's decade old fuel still operational. The flame each torch gave out is dim, but it does not mean I am working in stark darkness anymore. But goddamn this is creepy. The poor lighting of the dungeon cast multiple menacing shadow across the hallway, giving it an ominous look matched with its implied past usage. My mind starts to play more tricks now. I swore I can hear some chains rattling in some cells…

I fished out a rechargeable flashlight from my pack and used it to light the way. I have a hand-held dynamo charger in my pack. If giving electricity without the use of sunlight wasn't good enough, cranking the handle of the charger provides a very good workout if needed. A handgun in one hand and a flashlight in other, I cautiously strode forward through the hallway, ignoring the ominous chains embedded in each cold cell block. Nothing was left behind, not even bones or blood…

A strong smell of mildew and decay assaulted my nostril as I approach a door. My fear is now having a war of attrition with my curiosity. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. My curiosity won the war, and I claimed the prize. The door swung inward, showing anything but danger. It was just a simple office, nothing more. A table and a chair sit at the corner of the room beside a bookcase, something that I found strange considering its new position.

The bookcase presumably original position is right in front of me where I stood from the door, the only sign is a gaping maw of darkness and mildew. The smell of death was coming from the abyss, like a dead rat caught inside a toilet's pipe. The smell was strong, my eyes watered due to the sharp smell of rot from the hole. Fear became a beast of no nation, scrambling helter-skelter and screaming in the Town of Logic and Emotion that a plague of pain and suffering is near, unless I chose to turn away.

But Curiosity is the dictator of the nation, and Fear was once more banished into the pit of Mind by Courage and his valiant warriors. Latina whinnied quietly behind me, afraid of the consequence of my foolhardy adventure, yet I persevere.

The long beam of light penetrates the short tunnel of doom the abyss offered me. A simple path of smooth stone offers me the way forward, but the arches of stone above me frowned upon my conquest. With careful step I put my foot forward…and another one after that…and again…

I found myself at the source of the smell, and it wasn't pretty…

A large lavish hall was carved out from the underground granite stone, several motifs of unknown deities' watches over me at every overlapping arch above me. Rows of tall bookshelves formed a circle to the smooth grey arena in the middle of the room. The bookshelves were empty, saves for a few skeletons.

The circular arena was piled up with corpses, both old and new. Most of it was mercifully a pile of skeletons, its bone scattered across its fleshier brethren. Some of them were rotting, their flesh sports black sores and bruises as the decomposing process starts to kick in. Black blood draped most of the corpses in the room; its fresh red state coagulates into black from weeks unburied.

Some were strangely fresh; their blood has just started to coagulate from time. Some part of them was still scarlet, the red blood envelopes them like a lover's embrace. Each and every wound the corpses bear oozes blood in several different colours. I was mildly surprised when I found someone with green blood instead of black. It was soon explained by the feature on its body. It was a Monster Girl, a species that I never encountered yet. It has a lower body of a watermelon, yet it has the upper body of white, blonde woman. Her throat was slit open in a wide, green smile as I examine its sorry corpse. Most of the cadaver sports some kind of armour, which would be torn in multiple places. Several weapons were strewn across the room, ranging from simple sword to gigantic axes to some ridiculous weaponry. What kind of dude would carry a dildo to combat?!

My question was answered when I found my first imp corpse. Her large boobies sag from her chest, which were covered in dried pus and blood. Her glazed eyes stared back at my own as I examined the wound on her neck. A long, wide smile was carved on the poor creature's throat. In her left hand holds a long, phallic brown rod in the shape of a penis. It has a sword handle as it was suggested that the user might use them like a proper sword. If a slit throat was not good enough, her forehead was also beaten bloody by blunt instrument, which was the dildo the imp was currently carrying. Beaten to death by a dildo…Not a good way to go…

I prayed what prayer I knew for the dead as a sign of respect, not caring if my god of the old world exists in this world. There are certain decorum that must be shown to the dead and deceased. It is highly disrespectful to disturb the dead, regardless of circumstances. I just wished that some other might show the same respect…

Something else took my attention, this time it was a sword on a pedestal. Not stuck in stone slab like Excalibur, but like an artefact on display on a museum. It was a rapier with blade of crimson; its slender steel shone like wet blood on blade. The cross guard consisted of a black wolf's head with the slender blade as its tongue. Its two ruby eyes shone menacingly, as if it wwas a living thing. I would flip a table if there's such thing as a Rapier Girl. We have Roper Girl, why not have Monster Girls that looks like sword? Or hell, maybe a subspecies of Monster Girls that looks like real weaponries? I mean, we do have Monsters that looks like your everyday chest, what's the possibility of having a type of Girls that looks like every day implement? Pretty damn high in my book.

The handle was curved in a strange, mesmerising pattern as in mimicking a wolf's body. The pommel of the handle was a small ruby affixed at the end of the handle. All and all, it was a masterpiece, a weapon fit for a legend.

I slowly approach the rapier. Slowly, gentle like a motherfucking butterfly. What chances of the corpses in this room die because they killed each other? If that did happen, I'll flip another table and flip from said table while screaming Snoop Dog's name in Ice Cube's voice (SNOOOPDOOOGGGG!) The gentle glow of my flashlight illuminates my step, allowing me to detect any oncoming traps. So far every tile looks solid, no slim thread stretching across thin air…

I finally reached the rapier. There was an inscription on the sword. _Use the sword only when you need to._ I reached for the sword…and stopped. The question is legit. Why would I need a sword? My current weaponry is good enough for my travel, and it will be good once I upgrade it with some good shit later on. My knife, while short is hard and rugged unlike the thin rapier. That thing will snap once I tried using it to cut wood with. Plus, I don't have the time or the skill to learn how to use a sword, let alone carry it everywhere. That thing doesn't even have a _sheathe_. How the fuck can I carry that weapon without cutting myself?

That thing does not belong in a battlefield, it belongs to a museum. It is a piece of art that is unfit to be sold like a common sword. It belongs here, in its own gallery with its morbid guardian to admire it for eternity until the next soul stumble upon this work of art…

And also there's a high chance that it was rigged with a pressure-sensitive trap.

Aaannnddd a pair of skeletons were standing a few feet behind me.

No shit, a pair of skeletons just stood motionless just a metre away, staring deep into my soul with their empty socket. One wore a tattered red royal tunic over a suit of rusted iron armour. It's cracked dome was adorned by a single gold crown, its single ruby shone brightly in the hall. Its companion wore a dirty and frayed blue dress. It wore a simple silver crown instead. By skeleton figure and clothing, I identify those two as gay.

Sorry, just had to.

I did what a man in a room together with a potentially cursed weapon, a pile of corpse, and a pair of animated skeleton would do; scream like a little bitch and shot one of them clean in the face. The ruby on the king's crown flashes just for a second, and the satisfying image of a bullet penetrating its cranium was averted by magic.

To add the craziness in a hand basket, the king then spoke to me. Spoke, as in using words to communicate. First off, I was surprised by their appearance, and I was surprised that I was surprised of seeing them there. After weeks of living in this mad world I should've seen this coming. Second, I can understand everything he says, for he spoke in Ye Olde English.

Shit got 0 to 100 so fast.

I'm using memes now, am I cool to the young kids?

Anyway, I was scared, yet I hold my ground like a badass. Where would I go if I end up in a fight? Climb on top of the bookshelves? The skeleton king assured me that they meant no harm for me, for I have not touched the blade yet. Yeah, kind of hard to believe that when I am standing next to a pile of CORPSE…

They said that they are the kings and queen of this beautiful domain before it was ravaged to pieces by Ilias in the first Great Monster-Angel War. This castle and its domain were famous for its well-treatment of their Weapon Girls, a subspecies of Monster Girl unique to the domain of Mithra. Weapon Girls has two form; weapon mode and girl mode. Weapon mode is when they changes to their respective weapon type (i.e Sword Girl turns to actual sword) which can be used by their respective partner. Most of their strength comes from their weapon state, which is incredibly useless if not wielded by anybody. The man of Mithra fits the role as a Weapon Master, wielding said Monster Girl to combat. In exchange for the power the girls gave to them, the men took care of them like queen. In Girl form they were interchangeable between a real human being. Many men were married to their weapon, for every Weapon is a beautiful Weapon in the right hand.

Sadly, this beautiful relationship between men and Monster Girls enraged Ilias, which was already enraged by the atheist attitude of the inhabitants. Many people, including him view her as needlessly racist against the Monsters. Did she not give them life to begin with? Why would she hate her own creation and made it beautiful, only to destroy it later?

…Did a skeleton say the most logical question regarding this world's religion?

This domain was one of her chief interest, as she wants to put an example against the 'Monster-loving heretic' as she said it. As many Monster Girls made their home here, and some has relatives outside the domain, the kingdom of Mithra was fiercely defended by its inhabitant against overwhelming odds. Despite superior number, the Angels cannot penetrate the thick wall that surrounds the whole region…until a hailstorm of holy light blasted them to kingdom come.

To say that the timing of the attack is to convenient might suggest that there is some foul play involved in all this, but the only thing the king desires for is his subject to persevere, and the certain foxy general plan allows his subject to do just that. The whole country was evacuated within days, teleporting to a huge monster base somewhere far away while the angels tore at their walls and rained fire from above. As the final pair has escaped, the enchantment that holds the barrier apart was broken, and the holy army surged in, razing anything that the hailstorm doesn't touch. The attack was so powerful, the siege so gruelling, that the normally green hills of the area were turned to a craggy wasteland devoid of life except the one who can survive the harshest condition. The only thing that still marks the existent of a formerly powerful kingdom is a ruined castle and the ruin of a former town. The queen beside him said that she was sad that such a pretty town became a cesspool of lowlife and criminal, and not the elegant type either!

The legendary weapons then were teleported back to the Monster Lord's base. The pedestal then was erected hastily with dummy replica to placate the Angel's suspicion. The weapon was also filled with some magic to make it look like the real deal. That raises a new question; is this rapier behind me was fake?

The king laughed once, a low echoing noise that will haunt my sleep in the next few weeks at most. He said that the weapon behind me is the real deal, for it has a purpose hidden deep underneath here. I asked him what the purpose is. Guess what? It's me.

Yup, the general was also a strange ascetic that can 'predict' the future and stuff. He said that Ilias will fall, and a brief period of peace will soon follow. But beware! For great dangers will soon come, and a hero shall rise where an intense battle of unknown proportion shall be fought. But he shall not be alone, for he has his friends and the hope of the entire world to back him up. Of course, his friend too should have weapons that can help him win. It would be disproportionate to let a buddy of said hero faces off against an eldritch abomination with only a knife.

He told me that a friend of the hero shall come and claim the weapon to help fight against the threat. The sign is that there should be a massive magic wave or some sort, I don't know I'm not a fucking magician. Right, said magic can be felt by him, who would know that the chosen one has arrived. Then, either the friend of his would show up or the hero themselves will. In any case, he must not let anybody touch the weapon at all cost until such person arrived. Hence the corpses.

I am the person he was waiting for.

I badly want to call this a bald-faced lie, a fucking cheap trick to drop my guard and kick my ass. How can I buy such a ridiculous story like that? Just as I thought I found somebody with at least a little common sense, this pops up out of nowhere and reminds me that THIS IS ILIA!

I told them that I really, really have no need for a rapier. I told them unless they can enchant my rifle to become as strong as that rapier, there's nothing they can do to help me. I also tell them that I am not who they think I am, and they better wait for another century for the first thing I'll do after finding Hito and exploring this world fully is GTFO.

Taking my advice at face value, the queen said that they can transfer the strength of the rapier to my rifle, imbuing it with the spirit that resides in the blade. I asked them what happen to the blade once it was de-imbued. She told me that it became a normal blade, just another work of art. The strength lies in the essence of the blade, not the blade itself.

Weighing the loss and gain, I reluctantly asked them to imbue my rifle with the Crimson Roar. They accepted my request, and with a loud bang, some chanting, a pink cloud and laser death ray from the king's ruby, the rifle was transformed. And by god it was beautiful.

Aside from the scope, I noticed that the under barrel of the gun has significantly larger. At the handle of my rifle (The curve between the main body and wood stock) there is a carving of a red rose with a ruby in the middle of it. Pressings said ruby activated a hidden blade attached to the under barrel. Pressing it again retracts the blade back inside. It will offend so many people now, but there's a red swastika logo over a white circle at the base of my wood stock. While it's original meaning was good, but some German just have to make it worse…

The bolt's head was topped off with a red ruby, something that was aesthetically pleasing yet useless like a designer winter jacket in high noon summer in Arizona. There was also a single parallel line that runs horizontally on my rifle connected by three red lines at the bolt-action mechanism. The wooden finish as well as its black furniture is undisturbed, which is a good thing.

 _Red Barons Herrin._

 _ATK=155%_

 _DEF=70%_

 _MAG=80%_

 _WPR=80%_

 _AGILITY=130%_

 _DEXTERITY=195%_

 _HIT RATE=120%_

 _DEATH STRIKE=15%_

 _Possible chances of inflicting status effects:_

 _Paralysis=50%_

 _Stun=70%_

 _HP Absorption=30%_

There, this is the stat of my new rifle. It's ironic that it was called the Red Baron Herrin as I usually treat my rifle like a mistress (Herring means Mistress in German). I loaded a new round onto my rifle and noticed a slight change of hue of the bullet I was loading in. Its copper jacket was shining red when it entered the chamber. I peered through the scope, and that was the best shit ever. What I got is a pseudo-red dot sight aligned with my rifle scope. I whirled around with the scope, seeing all manner of living things in my tube. Several greyish green silhouettes appeared through the scope when I aimed above me; most of it was rodents and Mice Girls. Latina's silhouette was bright green with blue spot over her human heart. I was surprised by the development. I have a fucking life-seeking scope! That means, nothing is safe from my bullet anymore. I can see what you did behind thick walls.

It worked only as far as the rifle scope can go, which is 4 times magnification. That should be around 400 yards at least. Having it adjustable allows me to hunt on any circumstances or ranges.

I felt like dirt accepting this weapon. What right do I have of receiving such beautiful weapon when it clearly belongs to someone else? I'm not a hero; I'm just an explorer who was just passing by. I was not travelling the whole world just to save it, I was travelling to find my buddy and see the world. That's my job as an explorer. I am not honourable, I am dishonourable. Yeah I did save Richo back in Pornof's mountain range, but I disposed the bandit with cruel methods unlike a shining knight. I could've just used my bullets, but I just HAD to use napalm…

I am not a hero, I am an explorer. Remember that.

The rifle, noticing my distress hummed in my hand. I nearly threw that thing away. That scares me! I thought it might blow up in my arm at that time or that I have activated its Honour Mode coz it knew what I did last night. Then I heard my consciousness spoke to me.

Spoke, as in speaking with me. It was slight and deep, as if I was thinking the words that I was writing now. It came from the back of my head, as if the word its spoke came from my own mind. _I didn't even know her real name is Sophie._

A rifle that can speak to me subconsciously? That skeleton fuck just cursed my beloved rifle!

Again, my mind said that I must respect them as they are the ruler of what's left of this country. Again, that sentence came from my consciousness, a foreign voice in my train of thoughts. An idea popped into my head; I asked them what they would do with their lives that they have done their duty.

They said that they want to follow my example and travel across their own continent, hoping that they might restore it to former glory. I asked them what of the bodies that was just lying around. They told me that they will finally dispose them, as their original purpose of scaring away intruder was exhausted by my appearance. They said that other than the blade, everything in this castle belongs to them.

How can I say to them that their castle is fucking empty?

Latina was vastly surprised by my new rifle. She said that it felt like a soul was transferred to my rifle. She said that anything that have a soul transferred to a weapon makes them either a cursed weapon or a Monster, but she said that weapons were not a very popular choice of items to possess for it requires the manipulation of a third party to work.

I was right, my rifle was cursed…with AWESOMENESS!

I knew that we only have one Harpy feather down, so I made a mental calculation with the prices of Harpy feather in each villages. The one in Iliasville was the cheapest, so I decided to teleport there, back to where it all started.

The same green-haired youth exclaimed that I look much more powerful than before, that I must have fought some crazy shit out there. He also asked me if my exploration was tiring, lewd or fun. I told him it was a gumbo of those three qualities which is promptly swallowed by a unicorn that proceeds to fart and vomit rainbows. Latina slapped me over my head, saying that it was insensitive considering her race. My rifle made a slight giggle.

I walked over to the same convenience store I visited in the past few days. He welcomed me with a smile, saying that I have returned safely to buy more stuff from him. While I was not a native of this village, everybody treats me like I lived here half my life. To be fair, this place does have a certain homely aura familiar to me…

After buying more feathers, I asked him if there's any news about Lost Wood just nearby. His face instantly took on a fearful expression. He said that the place is very dangerous and should not be approached unless one was powerful enough to survive its wildlife. I survived Chernobyl's radioactive forest, bring it on!

He said that he knew next to nothing about the area, but he knew that many travellers convene at the Temple as that usually is one of the main reasons it was there to be. I thanked him by buying a handful of feathers, which I would use to get back here again if needed. I also bought several Ilias Herb for healing.

I met the old village chief again just for a surprise visit. I did this many times with my older family member when I went out travelling or coming home. I wish I still have one though. The old couple were happy to see me, saying that I've grown pretty strong along the way. Both of them have failing eyesight, so I read out the past entry of my journal loudly. They laughed half the time, frowned at the swear word (I toned down the swears, but no amount of soap can wash away my fucking potty mouth…oh fuck) and hung their head at serious moments. They assured me that what I did back in Pornof's mountain was a good thing to do, and that I was not responsible for their accidental death. The granny on the other hand scolded me for being way too reckless, saying that I'm 'not some hero chosen by the gods to save the world'. How curious, the way the chieftain smiled at his wife's sentence. I don't mind the scolding though, it felt good for some reason.

They were surprised by how well-mannered my guide buddy was, saying that she was a good Centaur to help me out on my journey. The granny told her to keep an eye on me to make sure I didn't do stupid shit. I have not the heart to tell them what I did back in Nameless Slum. She also reminded me that while she can't predict who I end up with, having sex with a Monster girl is taboo, so I should not get any ideas. Latina was flustered by the idea, insisting that we both are friends and nothing more. I agreed with her.

I asked them about the lauded hero I heard in the past, called Luka or something. Their smile widen, as if I am talking about their grandson. They said that he was the hero chosen specifically by Ilias to save the world, saving it from what is a question for another day, but he was chosen by Ilias, the goddess herself. That's some bragging rights there.

From what I heard, he has been busy. Just before he was crowned an apprentice hero he rescued Hans from the clutch of monster slime, proving his worth as a hero before he even crowned as one! He has taken down the Four Heavenly Bandits that has terrorized Iliasburg for quite some time, rescued the Harpy back in Happiness Village; dealt with the slug infestation in Midas (I told them that it was all for naught in the end, but fighting against the queen herself and won should earn him some credibility). The last thing they heard from them was them sailing away from port Ilias under the goddess's protection. Their eyes lit up with pride as they spoke of their local hero/family. They told him that he was a son of a hero who has brought many honour to this land. His mother unfortunately died many years ago and Marcellus, his father has left him to save the world or something. He never was heard from again, leaving behind his children behind with his best friend Lazarus. He told me that Lazarus is a rough man, but a good person at heart. He refuses to teach Luka sword skill because his technique is so reckless that he wore out his arm to the point of uselessness. I asked them if he is ambidextrous or not. They said nobody knows.

I bid my farewell to the old couple and made my way to the temple. I knew changing job here might be a tad bit easier here, but this woman I found takes the cake. Before, she was a freaking nun with faith that is resolute like the mountain, now she was making jokes about her religion, prancing around in skin-tight bunny outfit. She said that she became a gadabout because she was BORED of being a nun! She literally discarded her entire faith just to be a jester?!

Jesus Christ, she'll lose her head if she tries it in Al-Qaeda-occupied city.

The captain was glad to see me, saying that I am quite a warrior myself. He slapped my back jovially, telling me that he should not let me go out there alone; I just brought another Monster Girl as a wife already. I really had to call out that bullshit. Why is everyone pairing me with the Centaur? Yeah she's cute, but I'm not into bestiality or some shit like that! She was a freaking horse, a motherfucking horse!

I asked him about Lost Wood, whether it has any place worthwhile to visit. He said that there is a beach that was only accessible through the forest alone. It was called the Lemuse Beach. He also told me that the forest was filled to the brim with magically powerful fairies, elves and whatnot. What made this area valuable? Simple, many powerful artefacts were created by the creature of the forest. Many elemental stones can be found here naturally or made by the fairies themselves. The power from the stones can be used to strengthen equipment or armour with elemental power. I have several stones in my pack and wondered if it was useful or not.

He then requested to see my Combat Journal. His eyes were wide open in surprise. After reading my stats, he asked me to do a task for me, which he says that only I can do for he has to train the new soldiers here.

He asked me to lead a squad of soldier to Lost Wood to train them on how to fight against the fairies for a whole day. He said that he'll do it himself, but he was busy training his new recruits in large-bodied monster. I asked him why of all dude he would ask me to train his soldier when I was not even a part of the army, or even the churches. He told me that the temple is running out of experienced trainer and he has to make do with what he has. I told him he's out of his mind. I'm a fucking civilian, why the hell you ask a civilian to train your soldier? I bet the soldier wasn't even heavily armed!

He told me that he trusted me, for that is the true purpose of the Cave of Trials. He told me that he asked me to join their skirmish not for protection, but as a test whether I am capable of being a proper trainer if needed. He told me that the battle in there was just a test to see my combat prowess and skill. He would not entrust the life of his platoon in my hand otherwise.

I simply told him no and walked away. It's starting to sound like a fucking RPG quest shit that I can't turn down because GAME LOGIC. I mean seriously, you were tasked to save the universe, who has the time to go out and help a farmer catch his stray pigs?

I then walked down to the Temple's guard mess hall. It was supposed for the guards only, but they were famous for their leniency, so I took a sit beside a couple of dudes in light armour eating their meal. They were eating wheat bread and potato to go with their cup of wine. One of them raised their head and noticed me. He was one of the soldiers I escorted back in Cave of Trials two weeks ago. He told me that it was good to see me again, and that the job he is taking currently is boring. That moment in the Cave is the only time he ever actually faced 'real' combat.

Is the temple safe with these greenhorns around?

The soldier, whom he called himself as Flash (I go in and out quickly as a flash!) told me that if I am going for the forest, I should stop by a nearby albeit smaller woods, for in the middle there is a tent that I can visit if I desire company. I told him that it was not in my interest for shag. He told me that there's virtually no risk of death by Critical Ecstasy or even addiction. His friend added his two cent, saying that a Battle Fucker is virtually indestructible against every sex-based Monster girls out there. I thanked them for their two cent and walked away creepily.

Now I have a tent to visit.

I visited Aunt Betty again, just to say hello. She's the one who gave me shelter the first day here after all. Like always, I let her read my journal with a cup of tea we shared. We talked like old buddies as I remembered back my adventure. I also slip in some part of my past adventure before getting here, which is a unique blend of dark humour and light that was crapped on me by God for the past half-decade. We both felt a certain familiarity as we both swapped out old time story. I giggled as I heard the story of Sonya, Luka's foster sister/childhood friend who was lost in the wood trying to find Luka, only to get lost in the process. She was subsequently discovered by two Slime Girls, who promptly followed Sonya's example as she cried her small child heart. Luka ends up doing the rescue in the end. I told him of a story of a man who was cheating with his wife for 3 other hidden women, and for some reason he manages to hide them from each other… Until those women figured out the whole scheme thanks to some misplaced letter and picture he kept. It was funny, seeing that rich man running through his whole bungalow house with his 4 wives chasing him mercilessly. The bodyguard would've helped him, but the girls paid me to bribe them to look the other way as they mercilessly pummelled the poor soul to pieces. The bodyguards of the house and me agreed that he deserved that. Betty and Latina was in stitches hearing how the lecherous man was thrown off a window just to land into his swimming pool.

After having a good chat, I waved goodbye to Betty and departed from the village with my buddy toward the forest. As I was curious and it was conveniently situated near my next camping spot, I decided that a little visit to the tent wouldn't hurt.

The trek through the open plain was short and plain. The golden shine from my ride scares off any potential ambusher. Some stopped me, but their intention was kind. They thanked me for the rescue of their children in Pornof's Mountain, which they are their relatives that was missing for a few days. Some extra gold coins don't hurt to be honest. But I did it because it was the right thing to do, and it was in my power to do so.

Anyway, the path through the wood was smooth and pleasant with the afternoon sun shining above us. I saw several naked Orc Girls prancing around, having a game of tag with each other. Even though I knew it was normal for them I averted my gaze as to preserve what's left of my honour. My guide doesn't even bat an eye.

Calling the tent a tent is a joke to every tent out there, it was a portable single-story house supported by 4 poles of iron at each corner of the square base of the tent. Latina told me that I should greet the inhabitant of the house-tent as it was the custom. I followed her advice, entering the tent while Latina waits outside to guard the perimeter.

For a tent, it looks like it was furnished for a house instead. A twin-sized bed sits at the corner of the house, complete with pink bed sheet to match the pink aesthetic of the house. I'll refer it as a house for it was what it was, a house. To make it even better, there's even a painting of a hearth beside the bed as in emulating a proper hearth in a middle-age house. A pair of heavy-looking cupboard sits at the west of the bed. A chair and a table sit near the cupboard. To top it off, a single cuckoo-clock hangs at the 'wall' of the tent.

Marie was a maiden in pink, although her occupation doesn't mean she was one either. She has a soft, tomboyish visage that says innocent cuteness and lewd cuteness at the same time. Her soft flowing pink hair cascaded over her pink dress. Her lapel was secured by a large pink gemstone. Her huggable body was covered by a simple pink and white dress. At the corner of her white apron is a pair of red heart stitched carefully. Her purple pink eyes stared at me with a certain cat-like desire as I approach the beautiful woman. Out of all the woman I met, she was the only one I can surely said I will bang if given the opportunity.

And she's a Battle Fucker. Oh yeah…

But I am Alex Armin, and Alex is not a man who lets his libido control him. Instead, I asked her of what the true purpose of a Battle Fucker.

Back in the days before widespread faith in Ilias (How? I don't know) men and women fight sexually (What?). It's literally a battle of sex endurance. The essence is that the man and woman who participate must make their opponent come first to win. The core rule is that they can only fight with pleasure, violent act is prohibited. It's simple, but deep competition in its heyday. It was prohibited when Ilias was in charge, but ever since the Renaissance it has a surge of popularity. But the original rule was modified as there was a glaring weakness in the battle. Women found it very easy to make a man come before they do, so the new rule changes it from a battle of sex endurance into a contest of a woman's skill against a man's endurance (What's the fucking difference?). If the woman can make a man come before she exhausted her 5 minute time limit, she wins. But if he resisted for 5 minutes straight he'll won. That's how it works now. She said that it doesn't matter in the end, as many men cannot resist a very skilled woman for even 2 minutes. She said that it was now more of a competition between women on who can make a man cum faster than the others.

She asked me whether if I wanted to have a round with her. I am tempted to listen to her advice, but I am Alex Armin, and Alex does NOT allow his libido to get the upper hand.

And then, she activated her trap card.

She told me that she knew of a certain forger that has passed her tent earlier before, seemingly in a hurry. She told me that the person was aiming for a certain area in Lost Wood, a certain village or something called Enrika. She said that she has the copy of the map she used to navigate the forest, for there is where Marie used to forage for precious stone. All I need to do is to participate in a Battle Fuck. If I win, I get the map, if I lose I must pay 60 gold coins. Jesus Christ, she's a fucking gold digger!

I seriously considered shooting her in the face and rummage the room over her dead body. Or hell, maybe pistol-whip her to oblivion, she doesn't look much. But what I learned in the past is that looks doesn't matter, and you can't see skill until it was shown. In the end, I relented. I don't want to waltz in alone without direction. That's the best way of getting lost.

It was harder for me to take off my trousers as I have to unlace my hiking boots, my knee pads, shin guard and lastly my belt. Even then I have to remove my underwear (which is plated with a hard plastic cover) just to get to the gun. She asked me whether I am an explorer or a fucking soldier. I replied by saying I'm a weaponized explorer.

One by one, my article of clothing fell off my legs. I kept my upper body outfit as the lower body is all she need. She stared at my penis with a growing sense of anticipation, as if awaiting a great treasure in a box. Slowly, each article fell off from my legs, revealing more and more of my skin. With a final flourish my gun popped out from my holster, its muzzle raised toward her face in defiance.

The barely concealed disappointment from her face hurts more than every gunshot I sustained in the past 2 months in Miami Gang War.

Anyway, my size does not stop her from doing her work, and damn she did her job very fucking well. She whipped out a simple pocket watch and set it to 5 minute. Then she started the attack with a gentle caress of her soft finger. Electric shock of pleasure raced up from my penis to my backbone, putting me in a choke hold of desire.

I clenched my teeth and back, forcing my body from succumbing to pleasure through sheer indomitable will. Her finger was softer in person, bringing promise of pleasure unknown for my virgin body.

Every caress, every movement brings more pleasure upon me. My mind cannot comprehend the time that passes, only the growing pressure upon my meat gun. Minutes have passed, and my strength saps in every second it goes on. But I am winning.

Marie has a determined look on her face, the look that every fighter has when they are facing a challenge. As if knowing she was fighting a losing battle she increases her pace and pressure. She was right, there's no way in hell a man can prevent himself from cumming when a woman like this is common.

30 seconds…

I gritted my teeth harder. The pressure is overwhelming.

20 seconds…

My gun is locked and loaded; all it need was a squeeze.

15 seconds…

She squeezed the trigger.

I lost.

Looking at my dirty lower body, I felt drained of my strength. The same indomitable will that has saved me through the harshest of situation, has been drained of by just a simple woman. Pain…It hurt, but felt good at the same time. She smiled at me, saying that I got very close to winning the battle. It doesn't matter to me, I lost. I lost what I makes me, me. My will, my semen, my juice stained her finger, a sign of my failure as a man and myself. I failed myself. I'm sorry, Elisa…

The boner I got was still strong, and I have the strongest urge to ask for heads from Marie. But I am still Alex, and I forced my penis down with my hand. She said that this is the first time she saw a man who refuses for another round when still having a boner. She said that she'll do the next round with her chest for free. I am Alex Armin; I cannot afford to lose any more of my dignity. That first nut is for sports only, and I only agreed for one nut only. And I'll keep it that way.

I paid her the money and walked away in shame, only for her to stop me mid-stride. She said that it was painfully obvious that this is my first time, and that she said that I am pretty good for a first time Battle Fucker. She said that she went a little bit too rough on me. She said that she won't give me the map, but she said that I don't need to. Despite popular beliefs, there are established route that many explorers can use to travel around the forest. All I need to do is to watch out for ambush, as that is the only true danger in my travel. She said that there is some valuable secrets that can be found by going off-trail, but the risk carried from such endeavour was steep.

Last but not least, she gave me a piece of paper, saying that this might belong to someone who knows me, a friend if she as right as there was my name written on it. The paper was Hito's next diary page. That blew my mind. How the hell he got here? Is he not across the sea, in a whole different country? I mean, the only way I got to that puritan village is through some portal ripped open by some White Rabbit.

Anyway, she said that I'm welcome to come back and try again if I got stronger later on. I asked her how I can become more resistance to pleasure. She said that the only way to be resistant to them is by training thyself to resist them, which includes me having multiple sexual intercourses to build my resistance from pleasure. Fuck my life…

I learned something new today, and that is Critical Ecstasy is no joke. It was only one shot, ONE SHOT. And I felt like I just fought in an intense shootout for 4 hours straight. My limb felt like lead, and my head felt like it was filled with helium. That's how light-headed I was. All and all, I am in no condition to travel until I got a good night sleep.

Latina said to me that she knew I was a virgin all along. I asked her what gives that away. She just stared down at me from her perch, emphasizing her size over my human body. Is this my life now? Is this 'Roast Alex Armin' day today?

Anyway, it was close to sunset anyway, so Latina thought that it was good as all time to call it quit and call it a day. Marie told us that we must sleep outside or else her business will be interrupted by our presence. I just shrugged my shoulder and unpacked my sleeping bag. My guide simply kneels down and her human form hugged her horse lower part before falling asleep.

I am now writing this journal in my sleeping bag; outside a tent where I lost my virginity to a cute girl (Doesn't even make it to her vagina), realizes how dangerous Critical Ecstasy was, exchanged words with some spooky scary skeleton, on my way to Lost Woods and has upgraded my rifle with some cursed artefact, which is now in my arm as I lay in the warm confine of my sleeping bag.

Writing this journal took a long time. By the time I got to this point, the sun has fallen, letting night reign supreme for the next 12 hours. The stars was bright above me, its pattern of white twinkling diamond decorates the black satin dress the moon wear to court the planet Earth. Judging from the twinkles from the green forest jacket Mother earth wore she likes the moon courtship, whom was slowly twirling across the sky in the ballroom of universe which Sun and Moon took turn waltzing with Mother Earth throughout eternity.

Sun and Moon is a pair, always separate but never far away. The stars only appear at night, but they were never alone.

And here I am, surrounded by life, yet alone in reality…


	16. Hito's note (2?)

_**Hito's Note (2/?)**_

 _(_ _ **The note was soiled with some dirt, but it was not that excessive to the point of it being intelligible. The big problem is the big chunk of paper ripped off the overall page. I recognized his writing style. Again, once I met him I gotta give him a tip or two about writing...)**_

 _14XX/5/6 Johannes Calendar_

 _Where the hell am I, anyways?_

 _After another seemingly long journey, I've been walking around for seemingly forever. It is because I was in a beach? Well, at least some of these crab girlish monsters are friendly. They didn't attack me, instead, they just…stuck around. Minding their own business._

 _I lost my own bracelet, afterall. I've already has explained how. So I can't even risk the chance of going out there and suddenly attacked by these monsters. They were horrifying 10x more stronger than I thought. So I'm pretty sure I'll get att-_

 ** _(End of half of the front page)_**

 ** _(The back of the ripped page)_**

 _-ly shit! Are you freaking serious right now?!_

 _I can't believe it! This damn harp, I swear! Leaving me in a seemingly forest sounds really heroic, I tell you! But, atleast she had the audacity to use a weird feather…I don't even understand what even make sense, anymore…_

 _Before she left, she said that "the Lost Forest will keep you safe" or something like that, before flying off to god knows where. And now, I'm in the forest. I might as well greet these interesting looking e-_

 ** _(End of the page. Again, doesn't make much sense. As far as I knew, the harpies never actually harbour hatred to any human. There's even a village where Harpies and Human lives happily together. And most of them harpies never actually were aggressive to begin with. What did he do to incur such wrath?)_**

 ** _(By this entry, it means that it was a few days before I even got here. he might be gone already. But this is good; it means I'm making progress. I'll pick up the breadcrumbs and follow his footstep. I'll catch up to him sooner or later. Just stay safe Hito, I'm coming for you_**


	17. Chapter 17

14xx/5/15 Johannes Calendar

15 days since arrival…

Shit was fucked up, again…

As I told you reader before, I have a certain desire to have somebody to cuddle me. I just want to hug something, anything other than my rifle, and the world decided to give me just that.

I remember something soft in my arm when I was at the verge of consciousness. My hand was grasping something that was round and soft, like freshly mixed dough. I remember smelling something nice as my consciousness crept toward me; a pleasant smell penetrates my nostril. I remember a certain weight and mass that was foreign, yet welcoming in my grasp.

As an early riser, I woke up just at the same time the sun peeked out from the horizon, intent on dazzling the inhabitant of Earth with her dazzling sunlight. My eyes adjusted to the sight in front of me, and my hand retracted faster than the speed of sound. My penis was unfortunately awakened by the sight in front of me.

What greets me is an incredibly pale woman with a fair complexion. Her eyes were like sun and moon, completely different yet beautiful in their own way. Her left eye was a colour of scarlet red while her right eye was the colour of bright intelligent blue. Her nose was delicate, so were the rest of her features. Her small lips were tightly closed to match her stoic expression on her face. Her hairs cascade in a long curtain of blonde and scarlet from her head to her chest, obscuring her modestly sized bosom. Her hair starts off from the top as a bleached platinum blonde, only to become increasingly yellow the longer the hair goes. Then, the hair changes colour again, this time into a scarlet hue at the tip of her hair. It resulted in a hair that shares the colour scheme of a flame. White yellow, bright yellow and red scarlet in the end.

She was beautiful, but she was also naked.

I cursed loudly before crawling away from my sleeping bag in a hurry. How the hell did a naked woman get in my fucking bag? My eye desperately searches for my rifle. Where is it? Where did she put it? Who is she? Why is she here? Why was she sleeping in my sleeping bag, especially naked?

My scream alerted Latina, who was sleeping nearby woke up at the sound of my manly girl scream. She saw the intruder, and by some flawed logic thought of her as a Monster Girl, so she picked up her spear and charged toward the new intruder. The new girl simply rolled underneath the blow and stood in guard from her new position, which is around a few feet away. Her eyes stared at Latina's brown eyes. I asked her to stop attacking. Latina stood her ground, unsure what to do.

Who the fuck is she? I asked her. She stared back at me and replied in German. IN FUCKING TEXTBOOK GERMAN. The hell? Is there a place equivalent of Germany in this world? Fortunately, I knew some German vocabulary so I manage to tell her to speak in English as conversing in German would be problematic for my already shaky German there is.

She can speak English fluently, but she'll lapse into some German phrases later on. Fortunately it was pretty simple, so I can speak with her fully. She has a British accent, which was weird when she spoke German well. She looks German, and she spoke German, why her accent is British?

Well, I prefer a proper British accent than the American accent I used to listen to.

Guess what? She's my rifle now. She's Sophie, my modified Kar98k, the one the skelly couple back in Mithra infused with magic before? I knew my rifle was beautiful, but this takes the cake! She got one hell of a body displayed to me. The Kar98k was lauded as one of the good looking rifle of old, beside Mosin-Nagant and others. I personally liked the design of the M1911 or a simple Luger P08 pistol. I always said that the woman I'll date would be as pretty as a Karabiner.

And she's not only pretty as a Karabiner, she's practically Karabiner98kurz itself!

She was naked, so I told her to become a rifle again. She nodded once, and with a flash of white she turned to become the beautiful rifle she was. I carefully hold the rifle in my arm, the weight of my action became stronger at the knowledge of a living thing in my arm has entrusted her full trust on me. I suddenly felt shame from all the day I used to swing that rifle around irresponsibly like a fucking maniac.

I quietly stroked the handle of the bolt, examining the scarlet ruby affixed to the handle. I found this design to be flawed as the sharp and hard edge of the ruby made operating the bolt-action a nuisance. It felt uncomfortable in my grip as I cycled the bolt again. I picked up the fallen bullet and decided to reload again, albeit carefully. I felt a certain weight as I operated the bolt action again.

I raised my rifle to eye level, looking through the scope of my rifle. Through the scope I can see the wildlife of the Forest waking up, the denizen itself preparing themselves for a fresh new day. Most of them were light red, indicating somebody who will attack me on sight. The rifle hummed in my hand as I scanned the perimeter of my area. I smiled. This could come in handy…

After a nice breakfast from my MRE and some rice balls from Latina's pack, we decided to take a hike through the forest to find the forger with the help of my new rifle. The scope allows me to watch out for any hidden enemies or item in the thick forest. It cut down our detection rate at 50% that day, but the other 50% was a pain in the ass to deal with. Take an example of my first enemy, which is a pair of minuscule fairy with flower as tails, I would've found them cute if they're not naked with their female asset pronounced. It turns me off effectively. Don't let their minuscule size fools you, they hit like bricks. Maybe because they were literally throwing blocks of earth from thin air. How, magic, I don't need to explain shit, but I want to.

In a lull, I asked Latina how the holy hell they are so fucking strong. She said that the inhabitant of the forest is highly attuned to the power of nature, giving them much stronger control and flow of their magic show. Holy shit that rhymes. Pun aside, it means that they have a wider arrange of magic attacks, and significantly stronger spell to replace the basic spell. But like always, nobody is immune to bullets, especially fairies that are barely bigger than the Mauser round.

Hitting a stationary target requires training, hitting a moving object is another story. I have lots of experience in hitting a moving target WHILE moving on my own. Fighting them requires a pinpoint accuracy and hands of iron to hit a fast-moving hummingbird with a bolt-action rifle while dodging multiple projectiles in return is way above my league. Fortunately, friendship is magic.

While I was aiming for a certain fairy (a useless endeavour if you ask me) I felt a certain impulse, like a strange instinctual thought that crosses my mind out of the blue. Following my instinct, I aimed my rifle just at one of the path the fairy took. I felt a very strong impulse to pull the trigger, so I did. At that same moment, the fairy was on its way to the path of my bullet. The bullet vaporized the little fairy to smithereen, leaving behind a pair of floating dragonfly wings. I was surprised by my accuracy. The other fairy was pissed so she charges up her magic ball of energy, which took a slight, red hue. I quickly twirled to her direction. Before I could even comprehend my surrounding I instinctually pulled the trigger as if expecting it to hit the target. I was rewarded with victory.

After the fight, I attempted to ask Sophie using my mind. Her reply came back in the form of subconscious thought, like a little voice at the back of my head that was screaming at me half my life. She told me as because there was a little telepathic connection between me and her, she can lend me some of her mental energy to make me faster, more agile and more perceptive. She told me that through training, I can wield her to the most destructive point she can inflict on others. She told me that many more feature will come, as long as I trained myself hard with it.

To be fair, training is something familiar to me. And she took on the form of my primary weapon, so there's no way in hell I can neglect using her. I asked her if she can conjure bullets out of thin air, which she replied as negative. For all her magical power, she's still practically a weapon, so she requires ammunition to imbue with her magic. She said that in time, she can conjure bullets right inside the chamber. She said that it requires her to be familiar with her new form as a rifle, as she was originally an imbuement for a rapier. She said that once she understood how a bullet works, she can make one by sacrificing some of her magic reserve. But of course, she requires magic to survive, so she will leach off my own magic reserve to replace her own spent magic reserve. But the more familiar she was with the weapon, the less magic she'll consume.

I can provide her with training; she's golden once we find a place to rest.

After 2 hours of trekking, dodging enemy patrol pattern and admiring the forest view I take a wrong turn and find myself at a beach. The green carpet of the forest shifts in a straight line to a vast expanse of white hot sand. Unlike some other beach I went before, it was a long carpet of pristine, soft sand that gently slope into a horizon of blue sea. The beach is clean, and the smell of salt was strong and crisp in the air. The weather was nice, a clear sky that was perfect for a trip to the beach.

The palm trees sway softly along the breeze, which cools down the heat from where the sunshine hits me. My jacket felt hot, as well as my pack, so I removed them to my black pants. The place was empty, my scope told me so.

It was tiring trying to dodge so many enemies, so I decided to have a break here.

Latina smiled. She then produces a simple blanket. She then produces a basket of bread from her pack. She also produced a bottle of wine, something she saved for the occasion. We ate the bread with some butter and strawberry jam. I don't drink, so I settled for another swig of my beloved soda. I invited my rifle to eat as well, so she transformed back into a girl again. I would not allow her to be naked around me, so I gave her my jacket. She's fucking sexy with only a small jacket to cover her whole naked, luscious body, buts she's no longer naked. That's fine by me.

I lend my knife to spread the buttery goodness on the bread Latina brought. Latina likes the jam while Sophie prefers butter instead. I like butter too, but I prefer adding something else to the mix to spice it up. Latina liked the idea of a butter/jam combination, so I make one for her. They both drank from the same bottle of wine, which I politely declined. Sophie told me that she watch some tit-bits of my history and wondered how the hell I am still a teetotal. I told her that I don't need to be in an artificial state of deliriousness as my whole life is a constant mess of chaos already. Latina then exchanged some stories of her own. She told of some battles she fought in the past, a random skirmish here and there. She also says that she has met countless amounts of men who find her just to lose purposely. She was a Monster Girl, so she never turns down any semen opportunity. Sophie asked her how does semen taste like, as she was just a rifle and the imbuement is what makes her alive. Latina then stared at me knowingly, followed by Sophie. Fuck…

The atmosphere was light with humour and joy, the meal was simple yet nourishing. At that moment, I felt like we are not a group of traveller in a hostile territory, but a band of friends who was enjoying the day with a picnic at the beach.

The water looks promising, so Latina took off her armour and shirt, showing her buxom bosom to the world. She then ran toward the water, yipping with glee as the waves lapped up her ankles. Sophie joined the fun, leaving my jacket behind to take a nice bath. Her pale skin shines in the sun, giving her a heavenly glow as she tentatively walk across the sandy beach naked. I was left behind to guard their stuff, which is my decision. A female centaur with chest the size of a watermelon and a blonde German girl with a heavenly body that were wet with seawater…I have pretty good self-control, but I don't want to put it to the test against my female companion. I respected them both too much.

After several hours of uncomfortable yet beautiful display, they returned back to shore, tired and wet from their frolicking. Latina bounced her boobs in front of my face, as if trying to incite me to lewd her along with Sophie. Again, I have pretty good self-control, so I manage to resist her advance with a straight face. She said that sooner or later, I have to train my body to resist pleasure, and the only way to train my body is to have sex over and over again. Sophie assured me that my mental strength is strong enough to resist any temptation; it was the physical act that I have no defence against.

I then decided to show her how a bullet looks like. I gave her one 0.45 ACP round and one Mauser round and explained how does the bullets work, how do the firing pin in a gun trigger the primer in the bullet that triggers the explosive in the cartridge that propels the bullet outward. I taught her the history behind every bullet's creation and their role in many wars back in good old Earth. I taught her that how German's culture promotes technological curiosity while the American promotes bravado and confidence, which can be reflected in their weapon architecture. Using my journal, I explained how every element can strengthen a certain weapon to give them an edge in combat. I busted out the marbles I intend on using to imbue my weapon, giving it to her instead so that she can understand more.

Her face was always an impassive mask of aloofness, a certain detachment from her inner feeling and the feeling she decides to display to the world. Her eyes lit up as I explained how reliable the rifle was and what happened to its craftsmanship as the Second World War was nearing its end. She asked me if she can visit her supposed home (Erfut, Germany) as I told her where she was created. In the end, she told me that she felt like she knew more about herself more than anything before, something that she missed when she was confined as a rapier. I asked her how it feels like to be fair.

She said that the imbuement gave life to any weapon it touches, effectively making them a Monster Girl. Each weapon has their own personality and emotion, hence why imbuing different weapon yields different type of girls. She reflects the quality of the rifle from her demeanour, which is rugged, reliable, beautiful and serious. But she was not the same weapon she was as a rapier, she is an all new character created from the magic of the rapier, so strong was the imbuement. She said that as she was a whole new character, she practically has no other memories than what she is now.

Drat, I really wished that she could tell me who wield the rapier before her…

After our impromptu lesson, I decided to test out her understanding of herself to see whether she's capable of anything more after our lessons. She became a rifle again, and as my hand touches the rifle, I felt a certain rush in my head coming from the rifle, like a message through a telegraph. I loaded my first round, and suddenly I felt like a strange noise coming from the back of my head, like a subconscious thought.

 _New Weapon Skill learned!_

 _Bullet Hell:_

 _Level 1: able to switch between Water, Fire or Earth ammunition!_

 _Description: The rifle would switch between these elements as to imbue the ammunition loaded with certain element. As because rearranging the magic of a projectile-launching weapon is difficult, it'll take Sophie around 2 minutes to switch between ammunition types. Choose your ammo wisely, as she cannot fire again when changing bullet type._

 _Water: Mark an enemy with black paint, allowing Alex and co. to see invisible enemy. Deals 15% against fire-based enemy._

 _Fire: Set target on fire, don't need to explain shit._

 _Earth: give extra punch in every shot, but the bullet will not pierce any surface nor ricochet. 15% stun._

Like my new skill? This rifle is like a computer program, after I code in some new stuff, she can provide more assistance in my daily life. The training and combat experience is the code, the assistance is the weapon selection she offers me. I wonder if she can change a bolt-action into a semi-auto just by magic…bah, its magic, I don't need to explain shit.

Water bullets create a substantial paint to any surface, marking them down with black paint. Sophie said that as the imbuement of the weapon was originally intended only to inflict Death strike, some part of the Death aspect still remains. It will not kill them in one blow, but it has a small chance of inflicting Paralysis on any organic or mechanical being that was not made from fire. Fire does what the label says, set things on fire. It will be useful once I got my sight on a barrel of oil…

Earth gave out a stronger kick than normal, almost taking me off-guard. But goddamn that thing punches hard. The giant rock we used at the beach as target practice got a crater the size of my fist smack dab in the middle of the shot. The bullet disintegrated to dust, which helps prevent unnecessary casualties by fragmentation. I have the option of using normal bullets, the original FMJ round can penetrate many things. Unlike my personal 0.50 BMG bullet…

Using fire in a forest is a bad idea, so is a glorified paintball gun against a hostile enemy. I settled for Earth as I don't want any stray bullets after each shot. Sophie told me that she can add more stuff later on to my skill tree; all she need is just some time to experiment and train. That's how I studied to be exact.

Anyway, we decided to hit the forest trail again with extra skills and knowledge in hand. But even with the life-seeking scope we still encounter lots of enemies along the way thanks to Latina being as quite as a pack of mules. Okay, I cannot diss her much. I myself would have a bad time trying to be sneaky when I'm a 7-foot tall centaur with flashy gold armour on. Sometimes I wonder why I make things much harder for myself.

Improvisation was the strength of mankind, so in order for me to mask her shining golden armour I decided to paint the armour with green camo. How? Water bullets.

Latina is pissed that I used her as a target practice, but we dropped our detection rate dramatically. But still, detection was still an issue, so we have our fair share of fights. But through this fight, Sophie and I manage to learn more about what the bullets can do. We gave face-paint to elves with water bullets; we knocked down a strange purple witch with a hard-hitting Earth round. We set fire on a girl who was way too ready for Halloween. What kind of logic this world operates anyway? Just because she wore a carved pumpkin over her head she automatically a Monster Girl?

Anyway, that's not the only crazy shit that happened today. Waking up to find my rifle being completely turned into a woman wasn't enough, they have to make it personal. I found my mistress's personal weapon.

It was a simple Luger P08 pistol chambered in 9mm Parabellum round. It was still in good condition, despite finding it on the forest floor. I remember the story where Nazi soldier would booby-trap a discarded Luger pistol for any Allied soldier to pick up. True enough, I was assaulted by a pair of fairies. A brief fight later, I inspected the pistol properly.

I remember buying the pistol as a birthday gift for my superior that day. Mistress was usually used if she belongs to me in heart, but I am a mere servant under her, so I barely used it. But she was an old refined soul, so mistress is stuck in my daily greeting to her. Thanks to me, she became a collector of historical weaponries where I and she would spend hours studying its mechanism and history. That's why I found German weapon to be more sleek and reliable than other. It doesn't mean I'm biased though; I would recommend the Browning M2 if MG42 wasn't your cup of tea. Hell, I'm set with a simple Colt.45 if I got it. We have fun comparing the merits and demerits between a K98k and a Lee-Enfield rifle back then.

The pistol was something my mistress was missing in her collection, which I freely provided with my meagre allowance. It was a good make, an original pistol made by Germany post-war. I inspected the grip of the gun. _Notitia Fortior Gun._ Knowledge is stronger than this gun. I smiled quietly to myself, mistress may be serious half the time, but she shows her wittiness through other means. My thumb brushes over the engraving on the pistol grip, recognizing each callous and pore the gun have. With my help, I engraved the word from her mouth into the gun, effectively imbuing it with our memory. This pistol was a gift to her, to commemorate the day she was born, but any day is an anniversary when I'm with her.

I remember the sadness in her eyes as she lost the pistol many years ago. She blamed the head guard of the mansion, a red-headed Chinese girl who was famous for sleeping on the job. She ordered the maids and the worker to scour the whole mansion for the missing gun. Despite our combined effort the gun is still missing. We finally put it down to a burglary. The boss bought her a new pistol as a replacement for her collection, but it was not the same pistol. It has not the connection we have together as a master and servant. To other, it was just a prized antique pistol, to us; it is a symbol of our friendship. The day I gave the gun to her is the day where I finally acknowledged my feelings for her, and decided to relinquish any chance of romantic equation with her in order to preserve our friendship. That's why I cried when the gun was missing that day.

But this provides a whole new question, not all of them are pleasant. How did it get here? Why it is in good condition? Why it was missing in the first place, only for it to be here? Who carries it before me? What happened to it? The pistol never left my mistress's hip and was always concealed under her purple dress. She put the Luger at a small table beside her when she goes to bed. Then it hit me, if my mistress's missing pistol can end up here, what else could end up here? What happens if whatever the thing that sucked me and Hito here was the one who took the pistol?

What happens if they took more than a pistol?

Without thinking, I shouted my mistress's name.

It was a stupid move, and I knew it, but I can't help it. Surely there must be a reason for this! There's no way my mistress can end up here, can she? She was not important for this world, is she? She means the world for me, but is she important for this world, important enough to be sucked here? She can barely run with her asthma! How the hell can she survive this world? What if she never did, that this is the only thing that was left of her?

I was hyperventilating that time, my mind in a bigger mess of chaos than normal. I felt fear, impotence, despair, but most importantly, rage. Rage against whoever was thinking about using her, rage against the world, rage against the White Rabbit. Who else would think about this other than her? She told me that she has a hand in all this mess, she could've be the one who took this gun, just to taunt me! Hell, she even took Richo away right under my nose straight to the trafficker's lair, knowing that I cannot abandon her! She might already suck everybody in the mansion, hoping that at least one of them would do the job. I think I am doing quite well honestly, why would they be more people joining later on? Would that creates a paradox, something that she was trying to prevent? I do think she might be the type that just say 'fuck it' and YOLO her way through, look at me, of all the people that she can choose across the multiverse, she choose me, she chose a barely sane HUMAN explorer when she can choose someone who is 30 times stronger than me! What the hell?!

I asked Latina what would happen to any Human girls who were defeated by the Monster Girls. She said that men will become their partner forever, the women will be consumed, or vored as she called it as nourishment. That heightened my fear back then. What happen if she was here, only I never saw her because she has already being consumed?

I tried my best to banish my fear away. No, it can't be, there must be a sign of struggle at least! Like, like scraps of her clothing or, or her hair, or at least some bullet casing or knives! What happens if the one who consumes them were so ravenous that they even ate up the evidence?

Two hands smacked me at the back of the head, bringing me back to reality. The first, gentle blow came from Sophie, her face expressionless but her eyes full of concern. The next is a force of nature in a hand of centaur women warrior that rocked my head to and fro from sheer force. The blow hurts, but it was enough to bring me back to reality.

In the end, I decided to continue the route to Enrika, not to find the forger, but to find my mistress. She could be somewhere nearby, could she? It doesn't matter, whining won't help. I must take action, she needs me.

This pistol belongs to me and my mistress, so I stored the Luger into my backpack for later use. I'm coming for you milady!

I knew I was being a little bit reckless in my approach, but I wasn't thinking at the moment. I simply ran like a motherfucker through the forest, ignoring all the adversaries along the way. I ducked under a hailstorm of arrows, sent tiny fairies flying by ramming through them, vaulted over some Pumpkin Girls, slide under some flying tentacles, and left many opponent to the dust with my incredible stamina. To be fair, I was really surprised by how easy it was to simply run away. If this was so easy I should've run through the whole fucking forest in the first place!

But if I ran from encounters, how can I upgrade myself and my weapon's stat?

My rifle then screamed at me, like from my mind. _STOP YOU FOOL! YOU THINK RUNNING AROUND LIKE A CHICKEN THAT LOST ITS HEAD WOULD DO YOU OR YOUR MISTRESS ANY GOOD?  
_ Her voice stopped me right at my track. My momentum was great, so I stumbled from the abrupt stop I made from her voice. I sparred with gravity for a few seconds, which I won the round eventually. My rifle then spoke to me, albeit much calmer than earlier. She said that while she knew that I was worried sick for my mistress's safety, I should not run around like a fucking madman in a middle of a forest. That's what led to many hikers being lost. She told me that while the pistol definitely belongs to her, but it doesn't mean that she was HERE at all. She said that the gun was missing long before I arrived here, thanks to her molesting my mind and re-watching my life story. She said that it only means that this is where the gun has been all along, not the presence of my mistress in any form. She said that if she was here for real, she would've dropped her plasma gun, which she and I invented for her safety.

Her logic was simple, yet efficient. Her words manage to calm me from my frenzy, which is a feat by its own mean. I thanked her for her help and proceeds to explore the remaining of the forest albeit carefully. Latina was pissed at me for running like a madman throughout a hostile territory. I accepted her slap like a man and apologized for my action.

By a strange twist of fate, I found myself overlooking a small village hidden at the outskirt of the forest. It was quite a strategic point if you want to be hidden from prying eyes. The large forest provides covers in a crescent moon formation while their back was hidden by a ridiculously high and steep mountaintop. The village itself wasn't too small, but it wasn't big either. For some reason, I felt a certain attraction toward the village.

I then decided to approach the village on horseback, or Latina's back to be precise. Sophie is locked and loaded and ready to rumble, but I rather not unload my bullet to anybody. I only have 10 rounds for my Mauser and 3 magazines for my pistol. If all else fail, I can use the 8 shots inside the Luger in my bag. And if all else fail…I can run like a bitch.

The first reaction of the villagers toward me was unpleasant. They were not openly hostile, but there was a certain aura of dread that surrounds me as I slowly made my way to the centre of the village. Everybody was doing some kind of work, but their stares never left my body. They were staring at me like they were all reading a joke compilation only rapist would understand and I'm the only one laughing at the joke.

The inhabitants were made up of purely girls. I and Latina were on the edge as we saw no male member of the species was present in this simple village. After hearing about the horrid fate that awaits me if I succumb to any enemy Monster Girl I signalled to Latina to run if shit hit the fan. She shared my sentiment, her steps were careful as if she was walking on a sheet of thin ice.

The inhabitants consisted of female angels with several different variation of colour. We got our simple, pure blonde angel with blue eyes and fluffy feather wings. Then, we got ourselves an edgier version of angels which is dark purple in flesh and hair. Their wings are a leathery pair of bat wings attached to their back. Then, we got ourselves a vampire version, with fangs and all. The vampire one was a little bit tricky, I found one who was strolling through their neighbourhood were staring at me so hard like I owed her money. The problem is, her stare felt like not only she was undressing me, she was raping me too!

One of the angels mustered up the courage to speak to me. She was a dark angel, her purple flesh wafted with strange dark purple mist as she walked toward me. She asked me what brought me to the hidden village of Enrika. Yep, I reached Enrika by flailing and running like a headless chicken with PTSD through a slaughterhouse.

I told her that I came here to find a forger from the Nameless Slum as I require some coins from her. She told me that she was preoccupied for the moment and I should leave…Unless I gave her something as a gift of sort. For extra flair, she levitated to my face level and pointed her small dagger to my throat. The dagger was a nasty curved purple blade with several exaggerated saw teeth at the back of the blade. Even better, the dark purple blade was carved with some runic inscription which was pulsing with dark magic at the beat of my heart.

I have the strongest urge to swipe the knife away and punch the smug grin off her face, but I knew better not to aggravate the whole fucking village on me at the tip of the hat. I don't have enough bullets for everyone.

Just as both of us was about to descend into chaos then a voice appeared out of nowhere. I turned around to see my saviour, whom I identify as a Lamia. A Lamia is a half-serpent, half woman type of monster. She has a long, slippery snake tail that shone like silver in the sun. Her hair is light blue, with several parallel streak of yellow hair between the curtains of blue. Her eyes were blue too, a light cobalt attached to her eye sockets. She wore a short dark blue robe that hugs her human abdomen like a warm jacket. The jacket was decorated by countless amounts of indecipherable runes that hurt my mind as I uselessly wondered what purpose the runes fulfil. She has a single sling slung over her body from the shoulder to her waist. I did not see any generic sword sheath behind her.

She asked me if I knew anything about Pornof's Mountain range. I told her that some son of bitches think it's a good idea to kidnap one of my companion to complete their harem collection. I told her that I went in there and killed every kidnapper in there, no question asked. There were some hostage killed in the process, but the rest is fine.

She smiled, telling me to open my fucking eyes wider. I stared deeper, searching deep into my mind for any form of recognition. Guess what? She's one of the girls I rescued back then.

The revelation blew my mind that day. Damn, is this what they call as Butterfly Effect? You know, one cause creates million effects? Is that the right definition? Even better, she is the forger I came to find.

She told me that she was actually a Lamia, not a mermaid as I remembered her before. Give me a break, how can I differentiate between a mermaid and a Lamia? Aren't they practically the same thing?

Anyway, thanks to her my presence is now tolerated here. Apparently it was a good thing as the village was filled to the brim with powerful angels and elves of varied kind. The one that threatened me was a dark elf, an elf that succumbed to the dark side of pleasure.

Before I am allowed to roam around in this place I have to chat with their leader, another elf like I encountered before. Seriously, every MG in this place has a serious case of same-face syndrome. She has a long, flowing blonde hair and sparkling green eyes that I always saw in other elves. She has a pair of pointed ears, which is pierced with a pair of ivory earring shaped in the form of an angel. She wore a pair of short green skirt and green shirt that may function more as a training bra for all its concealment of her skin. She wore a simple sheath at her waist to keep her sword. She asked me what the fuck I am doing at her village, especially carrying a cursed weapon of some sort.

I gave her my journal as that is the basic summary of my adventure in this world. She chuckled at some of the funny moments in the story, then her eyes widened as she read a certain name. She asked me if the name Luka and Alice means anything to me. All I knew is that he was a hero on a quest, which is all. The elf told me that she knew Hito, she spoke with him when Luka and his crew rolls in to Enrika. That was a relief, at least I knew he was travelling with companion, and they are quite capable if the rumour and story was any indication.

From what the White Rabbit told me many days ago, I'll be the hero's companion in Chapter Two, and as Hito is the hero's companion, I don't think he'll go anywhere. All I need to do now is survive and wait until Chapter Two, whenever that might happen.

Anyway, I crossed out that task from my to-do list. I only need to explore and find the exit of this world. While this world is beautiful, I miss my mistress. I miss the maids, I miss my boss, I miss everybody in the mansion. How could I not? They gave me a reason to live when I found myself wishing death, they clothed me when I was naked, and they fed me when I was starving. They are a family, my family. I owed them everything. I am a child of the Scarlet Devil, and the Devil never forsakes their children.

Anyway, the chief asked me about my rifle. She was surprised that Sophie's species were still alive in this continent, let alone in an unpopular form of weaponries. She told me that guns are new to this world, yet they are accessible to anybody willing to use it. She even said that the local blacksmith sold one of the new gun-thing they found in Tartarus pit. Now that's something I really knew well.

Anyway, she also said that as Hito was a companion of the hero Luka, she was obliged to do him a favour. Hito told her that somebody of importance might end up in this village, and she should help him. As because he was just a tag-along, she has the option of honouring his favour. She said that I am now welcome to walk around and use whatever facilities this place has, as long as I don't reveal their position to the world…

Deal. We shook hand on that. Off we go to explore the village!

The village was a traditional middle age village made out of logs and woven plants as roof and windows. I also saw some houses equipped with some pen with a couple of cows inside. Yep, real cows, not Monster type. I never thought that I'll be surprised to see a normal cow at all. Many angels kept the European cow type with their usual white and black coat all over them. I spoke to one of the angels who were tending to her cow, whom is chewing on the green pasture of the angel's lawn. She said that before she thinks that everything that has to do with mortal being is filthy, that is until the angels were stranded. Now, she enjoyed the taste of fresh milk in the morning. She said that while it was a step-down from their usual position, they find themselves oddly content with their current mortal lifestyle. She also said that it was lucky that the magic essence of this world increased. The angel's holy essence was so powerful that it renders their skin toxic to any mortal. Not anymore.

Anyway, I found Rav's house, which is a simple cabin log, which is now radiant with some kind of a holy glow. I entered the house. The house was furnished with simple, yet elegantly carved wood furniture. I ran my fingers on a table where my glad host was sitting by. The smell of oak was calming, and the smooth lacquered finish of the furniture felt good in my grasp. I quietly sit on one of the chairs available, facing my smiling host. The chair itself was a work of art; the headboard of the chair has an intricate runic carving imprinted on their surface, their meanings means nothing to my addled mind.

She was attended by her friend, who was a fallen angel by looks. She has a pair of purple feather wings which were tattered in age, yet was kept by near-perfect grooming. She has a pair of deep purple eyes which matched the purple aesthetic of her skin. She also emits a certain glow as she sips on her cup of tea. She wore a maid's apron only, not a single thread was on her except the white maiden's apron which hugged her voluptuous form dangerously. Aside from that, she wore a simple silver necklace around her neck, which is unremarkable in appearance. Hanging at her waist was a sheathed sword at her side, ready to tear into me if I overdue my welcome. From what I gleaned from Latina, angels are so strong that they only require their own fist to rip an opponent's limb by limb. I wonder how strong that weapon was that the fallen angel would rely on it instead of her own fabled strength.

Latina told me that she knew the forger, how the hell did she elude my grasp when I'm the one who rescued her?!

Turns out, Latina only heard from rumours and hearsay from other centaur. She told me that she never expected for the forger to end up in Pornof's smuggler hideout. I slammed my face on the table and groaned hard. Next time woman, better fucking make sure whatever you heard is the absolute truth…

But hey, we found her finally. Her friend was cooperative, thanking me for saving Rav's tail many days ago. She went straight to Enrika after the successful rescue op I done. I asked her how the hell she ended up there. Rav smiled grimly, and narrated her tale.

Rav was originally an artist, a goldsmith to be exact. Then a hit was placed on her head so she was forced to abandon ship and hide away in Enrika where her fallen angel friend is hiding. She hid there for a few days and set out to find the culprit. Lo and behold, she didn't get anything. As her supplies starts to dwindle, she panicked and accidentally killed one of the guards coming to arrest her. She stole his golden helmet and ran back to the Slum. Having no money, a working makeshift forge and a perfectly good gold helmet she did what she did best; smithing. It took her quite a long time, but she manages to create some counterfeit that was good enough to fool a cursory examination. There, she spent her life perfecting the quality of her coins in the Slum to trade with some of the traders in the Slums for protection and supplies. Her skill with the forge does not dwindle from time, and her prowess was known beyond the Slum. Alas, that fame is what brought those human smugglers to her humble hovel.

She smiled grimly at the memory. She said that when the mercenary came for her head in all their golden glory, the bandits she paid to protect her literally gave her over them just to save their pathetic skin. She fought well, but she lost due to their superior magic control. From there, she was trussed up like a turkey ready for slaughter and was transported all the way to Pornof's mountain, unknown by her friend in Enrika.

She asked me for opinion for the matter. She said that she has no enemy and she was an upstanding citizen before the bounty was put on her head. She asked me whether I have a theory about it, for she longs to find the one who wickedly destroys her life.

I told her that I knew jack-shit about it. I told her that I wasn't there, and making pointless speculation would do nothing in the end. I told her that action speaks louder than word, and if she desires truth she must be willing to face the consequences.

She told me that she had enough of adventure for now, so she'll settle down with her friend here in Enrika. She thanked me for my service, which I still believe was something that a better person would've done in a heartbeat. She gave me a few pouches of gold coins, which I merrily accepted with thanks. She told me that the first batch is free, but the rest would require something that only worth to both of them; semen.

Wanna know something even better? Her friend was a tailor. Her name is Sacrina, the fallen angel tailor. She said that she was a very skilled seamstress, and her sewing was simply divine despite her currently corrupted status. She told me that she'll offer to repair my clothing for free this time round. She said that Rav is not by any mean, a weak Lamia. If I can take down the whole gang who overpowered her it means that I am very powerful. Yeah, several years of fighting against other human gave that kind of perception…

Anyway, this is quite a good opportunity, so I asked her to make a dress for my rifle. She was surprised that my rifle was sentient and both a Monster Girl like her friend. She then whipped out a notepad and a pencil to take her measurement. Rav left the table and returned with a long roll of measuring tape. After taking Sophie's body size, she asked me what outfit she would make for my wife.

Ignoring the comment, I wrote down the specification for her new outfit. She was a German rifle made to serve the Wehrmacht during the Second World War, so I found it fitting for her to wear such attire. A simple battle blouse of the army was not enough, so I ordered for a black Schutzstaffel uniform. It may be excessive, but in my mind it was a good choice for a German WWII era rifle. Reluctantly, I also asked Sacrina to make a holster for my mistress's Luger. It's not to fit her uniform only, but to protect her in her human form.

Sacrina and Rav were impressed by the design, the all-black military high boots, and a grey shirt underneath a black wool greatcoats and a military-style peaked cap. They asked me where I got the idea of making such a fabulous outfit. I grinned like a madman, picked up a pen and drew a fake toothbrush moustache and stand erect beside Sophie. Then I decided to recite Mein Kampf, only with much more anger to emulate Hitler in his prime time. I stumbled a lot through my German and had to substitute for many unknown and forgotten phrases with made-up phrases, which I ended the spiel with a long string of denial in German.

Nine, Nine, nine, nine, NINE!

Both of the angels blanched at my stupid antic except Sophie, who was hanging on to every word I spoke. Every word I spoke make her eyes lit up with something unknown, and seeing that eye filled with vigour in turn invigorates me to continue my inarticulate speech.

My ranting would end up taking the whole day if Latina didn't stop me with her famous bitch slap. The slap was so strong; I felt Hitler himself felt the blow in hell. She told me to grow up and act my age, and wondered loudly why she even bothers following me around. I told her that she can just leave anytime soon and I can return to my merry, lost way. We bickered for a few seconds before we were interrupted by Rav who told us to get rid of our old-married-couple shtick.

Why the hell everybody ship with the silver Centaur?

Latina thinks that a fine warrior traipsing along a dangerous territory with a pretty Monster Girl beside him when he is not a Monster Tamer is uncommon and ridiculously dangerous unless the Monster was a close friend or lover. As I am a male and she was a woman it was natural. Sophie doesn't give a fuck; she was too busy being a model for the fallen angel tailor.

But our fight actually raised a very good question that I never asked her; why the fuck is she still here? I mean, at this point she has all the rights to call it quit and leave me be. The deed at Pornof's Mountain was impressive, but good deed alone won't pay the bill. I wondered why she still stuck with me, so I asked her.

She said that she actually considers leaving me behind once we hit Lost Wood, but after seeing what happened to me…Well, she thought that I have an important destiny that was too good to be missed out, so she came along for the ride to see where it will lead. From what she witnessed in our adventure together, she believes she did the right choice in tagging along.

Now what did I do to deserve such a centaur?

Sophie came back faster than normal, and she took my breath at first sight.

She was beautiful, and I mean it in much way. The SS uniform was the right choice for her. She wore a set of grey shirt with black tie which was covered by a black greatcoat that hides any hint of her true curve. Her black trousers were loose enough not to distract me with the distinctive v-line every whores I found sporting in their tight clothing, yet they fit her leg like a glove. Her large black boots clacked threatening as she approaches me. The imperial eagle on her military cap shines from an unknown light source. She stands erect on attention as I inspected her for combat readiness. The quality of the sewing was so good; I felt bad thinking about the dirt and mud they have to endure in our adventure.

I remember seeing the rifle in its true form in my youth, a simple gun show somewhere in Texas. An old man was showing off his collection of rifle, ranging from a Remington 700 to a shotgun converted into a hunting rifle. The Kar98k grabbed my attention at that time, not for its historical value, but for how it intimidating and beautiful it was. Just from a single glance, I knew the rifle would never abandon me and her beauty never cease to amaze me.

One of the best purchases I have of my entire life.

Seeing she in her uniform brings back the memory of seeing the Karabiner for the first time, it was like falling in love, except with a rifle. Your eyes were drawn at it instantly and locked to it, your heart starts to beat harder, and your mind cannot stop thinking about it, a wave of passion overcome your common sense and from that on, you know you must have her at all cost.

She was what the Nazi Empire strived for, the very model of true Aryan race of the world. And I almost believe this is why many Nazi died for this philosophy. She held her head up proud and her stance is sharp and strong, daring anybody to undermine her authority. But with the gun at her side and the infamous SS uniform on her she was the embodiment of the dream, a blonde haired, blue eyes German soldier leading the world to a better tomorrow. Of course, while I admire many things about German people and their history, I still cannot accept what Hitler and his doctrine has done to the world. Not the German people, but him. The civilian, especially after the war has nothing to do with Nazism, and an overwhelming majority recognized it's evil and willing to destroy it to prevent it from happening again.

But you gotta give them props for their sense of fashion.

I thanked both of them as much as I can, but Rav said that if it was not for me, she might end up being a toilet for a scatologist. We all agreed how fucked up that sounds. I still have chills writing this.

Anyway, I decided to have a quick stop to their local shop where they sold lots of rare items. The keeper was an angel with long flowing blonde hair. She wore a pair of blacksmithing apron only; the rest was exposed to the outside world. If I did not know there were such a thing as a Monster Girl I would've assumed this whole village is a nation of nudist. She beckoned to her shelves which were filled to the brim with unknown paraphernalia and curious gadget befitting a fantasy timeline.

I found a boomerang consisted of a shaped ivory with gears and cogs attached to its surface, and through observation the cogs were anything but useless. I found several menacing bows adorned with spikes and carapace to the point where I cringed on even handling one. Each of them were coloured with their own respective element; red and yellow for fire bows, light blue and white for ice and deep blue with light blue for water. I also found several bottles of unknown chemical that glows unnaturally displayed side-by-side to a row of bottles filled with pickled herbs. I found herbs, feathers, roots and everything a household need to cook the perfect meal, or the perfect poison.

And in the midst of all that magical items, I found a gun.

A simple, 9mm Glock-18 semi-automatic pistol, in a shelf, selling medieval fantasy crap.

What the fuck?

Imagine this; you are a traveller of dimension that ends up in a medieval fantasy world where magic was real and real men plays dungeon and dragons with real sword and daggers. You fought off countless monsters and survived many encounter using your wits and skill of swordplay, you made friend with host of wonderful mythical creature whom are now a faithful companion to your adventure…Then you found a semi-auto pistol in a weapon shop. The setting and the location of the weapon was so wrong, it's like King Arthur threw down his Excalibur and whipped out an Uzi from his robe. Very inappropriate and doesn't make any sense.

I asked the shopkeeper where she found the handgun. She said that somebody offered her the gun as a form of homage to Ilias as she was an angel before she ends up here in Enrika. She said that she never knew how and what the gun was for, but she knew someday the goddess might give her direction. Still waiting so far…

I asked her if she forged the weaponries behind her. She said that she can synthesize and make any weapon asked for; nothing was out of her range. She doesn't even need materials; she has an ability to sacrifice some of her manna to transmute into materials such as Mithril and such. I told her that I knew exactly what the gun was for, and was willing to teach her more if she would be willing to make me some bullets.

It seems that every blacksmith has a shared trait of curiosity every time a new item was shown. Transforming Sophie back to her human form, we both started to exchange information on weaponries. Latina joined in too, being another student for the weapon lecture in the shop. We discussed about different type of weaponries and how they was used. I taught her about firearms and what differentiate one from the others. She taught me the finer tune of magic manipulation in weaponries.

Some of what she taught me was so ridiculous; she has to demonstrate it to me and Sophie. What kind of projectile that can heal any wound through high speed impact into soft flesh surface? Healing bullet can; she said a healing projectile can be created by combining healing magic with synthesized water bullet, the bullet will splash on their target harmlessly but the healing essence inside the water will heal the target. She demonstrated more about the importance of status effect, and how a battle was won by a devastating combination of effects on an enemy and friend.

In return, I taught her the basic of firearms and basic knowledge for any firearm owner. I taught her that in essence, a gun is ridiculously simple; a projectile, a propellant to propel the projectile forward and finally a barrel to contain both the projectile and propellant and direct the general direction the projectile must take. I taught her basic handgun handling with the Glock she sold and how to make the bullet for the Glock and my rifle. I taught her to never say clip for any bullet magazine. I taught her how the Glock works and how she can modify it and still keeps its basic core intact. In the end, she will not be that clueless when she got a rifleman as a customer.

Our hard work did not go unrewarded, and my mind suddenly was filled with new information as I hold Sophie again. I already isolated a page to include Sophie and her ability for me to track. She got some new ability to add to her small list.

After acquiring more bullets from our esteemed shopkeeper me, Sophie and Latina decided to hit the sack in the local inn owned by a female elf (is there any MALE elf in here?). We bought a cheap room which only consisted of a single bed, no window and only a small dressing table and chair as furniture beside the small bed. Latina will sleep at the stable outside, although I offered to take the floor so she can sleep on the bed she politely refused.

Today was exhausting and I only wanted to sleep my problem away, but Latina has other plan.

Latina got in my room and locked the door, a warning sign that something bad will happen. And I was right.

She went into a pretence of 'training' me to resist sexual pleasure, in other word; to prevent myself from cumming. I knew shit will hit the fan when I have a girl with a horse body wanting my dick, so I tried to run away, emphasised on tried; I cannot go anywhere. She caught me trying to kick down the door and slammed me onto the only bed in the room. I struggled against her, gave her couple of bruises but she was ridiculously strong, and in a fit of desperation, I called out for help.

My rifle became Sophie again, and I thought she'll help me. Not a chance; she's the one pinning down my feet at that time. I ordered her to get off me, but she said that this is one of the times she would disobey my order for she believes that this is the best for me. Getting raped won't help me get stronger!

Using a length of rope from my pack, Latina secured my hands and feet to the bedpost, rendering me useless. My pants were discarded alongside my clothing. I am naked and helpless against whatever these women desire from me. Fighting back is useless, so I decided to give in to their training. If I cannot prevent myself from being raped by MY OWN TEAMMATE then I'll make sure I'll last as long as they can and never moan at all, I'll make sure that I will not succumb to their action, and everything they did to me and my reaction would be the body's own natural fault and not my own base desire.

My will nearly crumpled away when my meat was sandwiched by Latina's huge breast. Seeing it up close and personal made my mouth water, and my mind can't help but wonder how the hell a lump of fat on a woman's chest can be so soft and comfy. My resolve is strong, but the temptation is stronger. Her breast made short work on my penis. I felt drained after the first shot, but my penis refuses to bow down to his breast overlord.

The breast overlord was pleased that the meat warrior was still defiant of her order, so she ordered her second in command to clean up the warrior with her tongue and force my penis to ejaculate again. Sophie was a little hesitant, knowing that her breast I nowhere near as big as Latina's own. Latina proceeds to tell her to use her mouth.

Her tongue is a dangerous weapon. My body arced as she efficiently cleaned the area of the tip from any gunk I shoot out. But I did not scream out, I did not plead, my will is stronger, so I endure the pleasure in silence. Sophie took the whole sausage into her mouth, deep into her throat and pumped herself up and down to facilitate the flow of my semen.

Funny, in all my adventure my buddy Hito and David always gets the girl. I was the friend, the reliable sidekick when needed and an effective leader when all hope is lost. Despite my vow to remain clean until necessary, I always envy on how easy they manage to steal other women's heart. Now I have two women wanting my dick, I realised that I'm happy being friend's only.

To add insult to injury, both of them noted that for a hardened explorer, my penis is not that big. Well what the fuck did they expect? A fucking foot long from a shorty like me? Sophie said that my semen taste salty and sweet, so she has no problem swallowing it much to my horror.

Anyway, I am writing this after that thorough rap- training. My training was harsh and gruelling, and we gone at it even when moon has risen is 90 degree from my position. If you noticed, my handwriting was a little bit wobbly from start to finish. Man those girls are ruthless.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll head out to Tartarus rift nearby. Good night journal.


	18. Sophie's Stat

_Sophie_

 _Weapon Girl level 7_

 _Unemployed level 1_

 _A rifle that was possessed by the essence of Crimson Roar rapier, the Mauser Kar98k became a Weapon Girl that is loyal to Alex for her weapon form is useless unless her master operates her. Sophie was a no-nonsense Weapon Girl capable of performing under the harshest difficulty to protect her master. Loyal, serious and beautiful, just like the rifle itself._

 _Weapon Girl:_

 _Weapon Girl is a rare subspecies of Monsters who take form of lethal weaponries. While other Monster Girls prey on men for semen, Weapon Girls form a strong symbiosis with the men in order to stay alive. The men will provide semen while the Weapon Girl will provide their weapon form for the warrior to use. Weapon Girls in Weapon form is literally indestructible, packs a heavy punch and capable of unknown level of lethality exclusive to the species. But without the male to use them, they are vulnerable and must rely on their vast magic reservoir to fight back, hence why many Weapon Girls are accomplished mage before meeting any men._

 _Ability:_

 _Bullet Hell:_

 _Level 1: able to switch between Water, Fire or Earth ammunition!_

 _Description: The rifle would switch between these elements as to imbue the ammunition loaded with certain element. As because rearranging the magic of a projectile-launching weapon is difficult, it'll take Sophie around 2 minutes to switch between ammunition types. Choose your ammo wisely, as she cannot fire again when changing bullet type._

 _Water: Mark an enemy with black paint, allowing Alex and co. to see invisible enemy. Deals 15% against fire-based enemy._

 _Fire: Set target on fire, don't need to explain shit._

 _Earth: give extra punch in every shot, but the bullet will not pierce any surface nor ricochet. 15% stun._

 _Level 2: Able to use Lightning, Buckshot and Windbreaker._

 _Lightning: A small, yet significant amount of electricity was imbued in the bullet, enough to stun or even paralyze an enemy. Deals less damage in water, but higher chance of stun or paralyze an enemy._

 _Buckshot: changes the cartridges into clay case and the projectile into clusters of minuscule pellet, effectively becoming a makeshift shotgun shell. May hit multiple attackers at once._

 _Windbreaker: Wind speed and distance affects the trajectory of a bullet, but not to a Windbreaker bullet. This bullet was imbued with enough wind magic to cancel out any gravitational or elemental issue. 400% speed._

 _Level 3: Able to use Healing Bullets, Lust Bullets and Death Bullets._

 _Healing Bullets: Change the bullets into water bullets imbued with holy magic that can heal the target. Will harm the target instead if the target is undead._

 _Lust Bullets: After having her first taste of semen from Alex, Sophie can now recreate a weak imitation of the lustful aura the white goo has in the form of a slightly slimier water bullet. Inflict Lust on an enemy._

 _Death Bullets: Sophie can now recreate a weak imitation of Death essence and imbue it into each bullet. 20% chance of inflicting Death Strike on target._


	19. Sophie's entry

14xx/5/16 Johannes Calendar

16 Days since Arrival…

Commander is unavailable. I will take record of today's progress on commander's behalf.

Morning: We ate our breakfast in silence, the commander too tired and embarrassed after the incident last night. Returned to bed as soon as breakfast was concluded. Having nothing better to do, I and Latina decided to patrol the village. Got a few stares from the local, but aside from that, nothing noteworthy happened.

I found 4 test tubes disposed irresponsibly at the outskirt of the village. Knowing the commander, I believe he can do something with it. The test tubes were in sufficient condition, it'll be fully operational once we clean up all the dirt and the leftover goo inside.

Latina then found a broken bracelet along the path we have taken yesterday. It was a simple iron ring worn at the wrist for decorative purpose. It was broken at one side, yet the ring refuse to split apart from each other. Latina said that the ring is capable of diverting Monster Girls away from us and commented that she should've keep her original one many years ago. The test tubes and ring was stored in Latina's horse pack.

Noon: Took shelter in commander's room from the heat. Commander is barely functional. He ordered Latina to procure him 4 small handkerchief and some Ilias herbs. The herb reinvigorates the commander back to commission. Commander commanded both of us to extract all of his semen until the all of the test tubes were filled with his semen. The commander consumed Ilias Herbs in order to maintain consciousness and refill the semen in his sack. How the herb did it is unknown. But the test tubes were filled and we closed the lid with said handkerchief. He ordered us to test it out against the local fauna. We decided to head to the outskirt of the village to test his hypothesis. Refer to report 0.1 and 0.2 for test result.

Afternoon: Commander is still asleep after series of forced violent ejaculation. Decided to ask the local shopkeeper to repair the broken Monster Ward ring. She refused, knowing our coins are counterfeit. Left the shop to avoid conflict. Settled on some combat training with Latina. A local angel helpfully supplied us with some glasses of fresh milk. Packed some for commander along the way.

Sundown: returned to commander's room. Commander just awoke from his sleep.

Night: Commander allows me and Latina to sleep in his room. He'll be reviewing this report soon. This is Sophie, signing out.


	20. Report 01

Report O.1

The effect of semen on Monster Girls and its possible application:

Intention: To find out the effect of semen disposed wilfully to any Monster infested area

Hypothesis: The semen's smell will attract quite a crowd of Monster Girls to the area.

Variables:

1\. Manipulated: The amount of semen dropped.

2\. Responding: The attraction strength of the thrown semen test tube.

3\. Fixed: the source of test semen

Equipment and ingredient:

2 test tubes filled to the brim with semen, a clean spoon, a stopwatch, sleeping poison, Alex's journal and several clean spot in a forest filled with wild Monster Girls labelled as A, B, C and D.

Procedure:

1\. Separate two test tubes from each other by label. Test tube A and test tube B will be used for different reason.

2\. Proceeds to testing area A

3\. Mix the content of test tube A with sleeping poison and spread the whole lot on the testing area (ground). Wait for 5 minutes and observe.

4\. Proceeds to testing area B

5\. Using a spoon, drop a spoonful of semen from test tube B into designated area B. Wait for a 5 minute and observe the reaction of local wildlife to testing area A.

6\. Proceed to testing area C and double the spoonful amount of semen. Wait for 5 minute and observe the test.

7\. Repeat step 6 on testing area D

8\. Record everything in commander's journal for research purpose.

Observation:

1\. A pair of fairies appeared around 3 minute of observation. They were oblivious of the poison inside the semen and absorbed the fallen drop with their flower tail. Both of them fell asleep on the spot.

2\. The local wildlife was attracted to the scent of semen and wasted no time on consuming said semen. Bigger and stronger monsters avoid the smaller semen drop, opting for test area C or B. The smaller stature Monster Girls like fairies often spot the smaller drop of semen when bigger Monster Girls passed them.

3\. Area D became a spot where we observed a small infighting against a Dark Elf fencer, Dark Elf Mages and a Jack of Lantern. The battle was concluded when a small fairy snuck in and absorbed every drop with their tail while the bigger Monster girls were bickering.

Conclusion: The bigger the amount of semen dropped, the stronger the attraction.


	21. Report 02

Report 0.2

The effect of pre-contained semen on Monster Girls.

Intention: To find the effect of drenching a Monster Girl with prepared semen

Hypothesis: The aphrodisiac effect of semen will drown a Monster girl in lust

Variables:

1\. Manipulated: Amount of semen administered

2\. Responding: Test subject's horny level

3\. Fixed: source of semen

Equipment and Ingredient:

Two test tubes, some willing volunteer, spoon, clear ambush spot and no dignity.

*The amount of enthusiastic volunteer from Lost Wood and Enrika posed a small problem for supply problem, hence we conducted this experiment in a secret manner, setting ambush for random Monster Girls and observe their reaction*

Procedure:

1\. Find a suitable ambush spot where we wait for any unsuspecting Monster Girl to come through.

2\. Establish a killing zone where we can spring our trap. Administer a small spoon of semen on the killing zone.

3\. When a suitable target approaches, drench the target with prepared semen by throwing a spoonful of semen on target.

4\. Explain the goal of the experiment toward the possibly angry Monster Girl and observe the change of behaviour prior to semen administration.

5\. Write down the observation on Alex's journal.

Observation:

1\. Almost every Monster Girls does not complain on the experiment, some even eagerly volunteered themselves to the cause, making administration easier.

2\. The affected Monster Girl became twice as sensitive as before, every touch will result in discomfort and pleasure and in extreme cases, arousal.

3\. Smaller Monster girl such as fairies became aroused quickly in small quantity of semen. Bigger Monster Girls require much larger dosage for arousal status to reach significant damage

Conclusion: Semen can provide higher sensory stimulation to any Monster Girl, rendering them sensitive to touch. It might be handy in the future, commander always finds a way how to weaponize everything….


	22. Chapter 18

14xx/5/17

17 days since arrival…

Ouch, my balls hurt.

Having a sexual intercourse with two beautiful women who forces me to ejaculate over and over again sounds like a pornographic movie come true, but it was a living nightmare. Once the pleasure of sex has passed after around two or three shots pleasure starts to turn into pain, and only became more painful as it goes.

One thing I find was fascinating is how determined my penis was. Even after shooting 5 times it is still defiant, standing straight like a soldier. This prompted for another round of fellatio and boob job that has lost its pleasurable strength, only replaced by the agonizing pain from my worn-out shaft.

The herb became my drug of choice, refilling the empty sack underneath the mast and restored the vigour of my penis once again, allowing me to feel the pleasure again instead of pain. But excessive sexual intercourse still hurts, even with shit-ton of Ilias Herb I consumed.

I manage to refill the 4 test tubes Sophie used to test out the effect of semen on Monster Girls. This topic should've been well-known by many, or hell somebody might have written a book about it already. But there's no better learning than hands-on education.

Anyway, I decided to teach Sophie more about firing a gun. Yesterday was about taking care of it, today is how you use one, the correct stances and whatnot. There's a mountain range behind the village just a stone throw away from Rav's house. Just a couple minutes of walk and we're set.

We arrived to a steep mountain rock face with a wide open space the distance of a 100 metre from the forest range. It's a pretty good target range. Using my knife I drew a crude bull's-eye at the surface of the large mountain rock. I set the distance of 8 metre to train her how to use the Luger.

Sophie was a natural with the Luger. All it took was a couple of tries and she was slinging lead like a…gun? A gunman teaching a woman who was originally a gun to shoot a gun to become a gunwoman?

Please wait while I rearrange my detonated mind.

After several hours of training, I decided to call it a day and used a Harpy Feather to teleport back to Iliasville. We returned to the temple to find more information about the Tartarus rift. The old head priest stares at my rifle weirdly, saying that something bad happened to my rifle and I should be careful about it. He seems to be in a bad mood as I told him my intention.

He told me that I have a death wish trying to get into a very dangerous land where nobody can even get through the place alive in group, let alone…alone. He told me that I may have gotten over my head at my own achievement. He told me that there is one nearby, a Tartarus Rift at the Southern Ilias Continent. He told me that there are already a group of brave men and women exploring the blasted hole.

Gee, that guy sure is cranky.

Anyway, we decided to fill up with Ilias herbs back in Iliasville and some Thread of Guidance as well as some harpy feather. I also decide to have a chat with Betty again. She was growing on me, that old geezer. She was happy that I was doing well so far in my adventure and wished me luck.

Then I met the same warrior who told me that he lost his friend in the forest. I decided to come and tell him that I still don't find his friend despite my best effort. He smiled grimly, saying that my assistance was appreciated even though it was highly unnecessary. He already made peace with the fact that he'll never find his buddy again. Understand his feelings though, sometimes I wonder if I'll ever find Hito again…

Fortunately for me, a resting engineer nearby just returned from said rift and was resting with the others at the canteen. I went to the canteen and met a stocky young man who wore a red overall and a red scarf over his short red hair. He told me that his name is John. He said that he knew exactly where the rift was but he said that not everybody can just go in there willy-nilly. He said that only engineers are allowed as they need somebody to analyse the crap they found in there.

If my hypothesis was right, the artefact they found might be more modern guns.

He agreed to take me there as soon as I showed him my guns. Guess I was right; some of them might be guns.

Anyway, we ride Latina to the location with him as the guide. The ride was uneventful, not a single monster girl attacked us along the way. It seems that my street cred was proven strong among the populace.

The rift was huge; I mean the size of a football field. I understand why it was called Tartarus Rift though; the hole seems to extend into nothingness, even the hard-packed dirt wall along the hole slowly melded into the same inky black vacuum as the sunlight failed to bring its magnificent lifesaving glow to its depth. Peering over the edge, I remembered the old literature phrase regarding about abyss. 'If you stare at the abyss, the abyss stared back'. I understood the implication and inspiration the writer drew from such inspiration. As I stared deep into the inky black void, my mind starts to question everything, mixed signal crashes onto each other in the highway of synapse in my brain as the inky black void sucked the light out of my eyes.

Black, black is all I see, no other colour was needed to be. I am black, the void is black, my mind is black, and the world is slowly turning to black. Soon, I heard whispers. The whispers was insidious, quite enough to think it was your imagination, yet loud enough to feel someone was telepathically communicating with you.

I almost stumbled as Latina pulled me away from the edge of chasm. The black erodes from my sight, giving way to life-giving light and colour. Despite my anxiety and horror facing the familiar void, I felt a certain connection toward the void, a strange kinship and understanding nobody else shared. I also realized that standing around at the edge of a fucking void is bad for my mental health.

There was a small encampment at the edge of the rift consisted of several scholars and engineers from Iliasburg. They were guarded by a battalion of infantryman, whom are in several state of exhaustion. I saw a small group of men trying to rouse an unconscious soldier unsuccessfully. They give up on the attempt and brought him into one of the tents in the encampment.

I asked one of the scholars about the rifts. He said that this chasm appears mysteriously after the disappearance of Remina. There was also more than one chasm than this one. There are 7 in the whole world. Many said that it might be a portal between different worlds. I remember falling in the void for hours at least. The rift looks just the same. He said that of all the chasm they explorer, this one is the smallest and potentially the safest due to its size. He said that I am welcomed to try and explore the place at my own risk, considering the fact that a random shota just came outta nowhere chasing a White Rabbit jumping into the fucking abyss.

Oh for fuck sake, I should've known that rabbit bitch gotta have something to do with it.

Anyway, they have a makeshift workshop which he graciously granted me access to it. To my pleasant surprise the workshop has proper equipment and tools for me to use. Now I can mix gunpowder properly instead of mixing random kitchen groceries for explosive. I entertained the idea of making more bullets, but decided against it. It'll take me a whole day if I make one. I settled on making several pipe bombs for my expedition.

After 3 hours of tinkering and mixing, I end up with 3 fragmentation bombs, 2 flashbang and 3 smoke bombs. I enjoyed mixing chemicals and watch their reaction in the field. I also borrowed some unwanted pieces of metal and bend it to craft caltrops. I found it useful either for distraction or combat purpose.

They attached a simple rope ladder at the mouth of the chasm. Latina was left behind, knowing that she cannot scale the weak rope without difficulty or snapping them clean from her weight. She decided to fraternize with the soldiers, whom were moaning miserably at their post.

Armed and dangerous, I descended into the cave of madness. The ladder was very long; the darkness of the void slowly consumes me as I descend even lower at every rung. Every rung, the darkness grows bigger until I came to the point of no return. There was no sound, no light, nothing at all. I was far too deep into this. Feeling claustrophobic, I carefully activated my flashlight attached to my lapel. The small but powerful beam of light illuminates my body and the never-ending ladder I have to descend.

At one point I seriously contemplated climbing back. What will I find down there? Maybe a powerful demon? More inky black void? The White Rabbit herself? Or nothing at all? Why do I go down? What would I achieve anyway? It's too dark, it's too deep, a human being should've not been here at all. This primal darkness that was untouched by the light of man should remain such, untouched. What happen if the darkness or whatever lurks in it was offended by my intrusion and decided that a young man like me would be a good snack?

But like always, curiosity wins the round. This is the job of an explorer, basically my job. An explorer's job is to go beyond the known border and witness what lies after. We are explorers; we create roads out of the wild unknown for others to follow. We witness savagery first hand so others may heed warning. We witness beauty first hand so we can lead others to witness them as well.

Like a ranger used to say; Rangers lead the way! And that's what I did, I lead the way!

And so I go deeper to my doom…

Then suddenly, lights appeared right below me.

I was surprised by that light. I stared deep down only to see the same platform where I started my journey in this world many days ago.

The place looks just the same like I remembered it; dilapidated metal walls rusted by damp and age, the grated floor that was greying by age too, but still looks hard enough to stand on. The lamps on the structure's ceiling were glowing barely, almost rendering the whole place dark. It seems whatever spooked them battalion up there must have messed with the lighting.

Oh well, I have a gun and some packet of high explosive strapped on my chest. I'm sure everything will end up just fine…

The creaking under my boot was familiar, the same iron grating over the floor brings back the memory of fire, iron, darkness and eldritch abomination combined with girls to become a strange species of H.P Lovecraft's perverted fetish. The dank smell of rot and iron penetrated my nose, a familiar scent of the unknown. I smiled to myself, I know where am I.

I came back to the place where me and Hito got separated. If Lady Luck decided to be merciful today, maybe I'll find him earlier, or that White Rabbit hoe. I really want to punch her at least once.

This time, I knew what am I dealing with, so I already formulated a plan. Sneak in like a motherfucking ninja.

I crouch-walked all the time, my ears and eyes wide open to the environment. I already mastered the skill of sensorial detection back home, so I can actually heard the tiny steps some far-away creature made that was coming to my way more than often. Fortunately for me, those creatures sight wasn't the best of the best. Also it helps that the place was almost pitch black darkness and my outfit is black all over. Having Sophie's life-detecting scope was a sweet bonus too. That thing allows me to see the demons that was crawling on the floor a few rooms away from me.

No, I refuse to call them Monster Girls. Unlike the one I mentioned earlier, those demons are nothing but abomination with boobs attached to them.

Moving on, I manage to sneak through the area by using the shadow and some odd engines lying around the structure. It seems that this structure too was suspended over a void. After travelling for a while I realized that this is a different structure from the one I got separated with. I also found a room that looks like it was trying to emulate the surface's forest by planting border of trees and having grassed plain instead of metal floor. To be fair I was glad for the trees appearance though, it means that I am in no danger of running out of breathable air.

There's also the fact that there are quite a few chest lying around the structure, its lid broken wide open. I found that the one with the lid open was always coloured gold and red, not once was metal green or blue. The one I said was closed actually got a proper lock which was still holding on. It seems that the battalion up there was too preoccupied fighting the thing down here so much that they have no time but to steal the one that was wide open or unlocked. I wondered if anybody ever thought about sneaking in…

Anyway, I searched among the bushes in the forest room only to find another broken chest. As I was about to leave the room I spotted a small case hidden in the tree beside the open chest. Making sure nobody or nothing notice me I tapped the tree lightly. It was hollow. Slowly, I tried pressing every groove and knob of the hardwood to find a latch or something. Thanks to Sophie's scope, I found out that it has a small button hidden in the same open chest. A deeper investigation later, I found the button and claimed my prize.

A small lid cleverly disguised as part of the tree opened up, revealing a beautiful sight for sore eyes. A nightvision goggle, a Gen III model by the looks of it. The black strap was clean from any logo, making its identification even harder for me. Where did it come from? Who made them? What dimension does it end up at?

Doesn't matter, a tool is a tool and I intend on using it the best as I can. Thanks to the darkness of my environment I found a very good use for this goggle.

The goggle cannot accommodate my glasses unfortunately, so I replaced my glasses with those goggles. Unless you're near-sighted like me, you won't understand how we saw the world without our glasses. Hell, don't ask me how I became a legit sniper if I wear glasses, because I'm not one.

It's like trying to play GTAV on a potato computer on 144 pixels and every setting set to the lowest and it barely runs. My sight wasn't that bad, it's like a potato computer trying to run State of Decay without stuttering on lowest spec and succeeded…only for a while.

Anyway, my sneaking ability was improved heavily by this new piece of equipment. I manage to explore the entirety of the structure which contains several rooms that resembles some part of the surface world; the golden mesa of the desert, the lush green forest of Lost Wood, and some part wasn't even existed, just a huge chasm leading to an unknown drop. I have a weird urge to find a rope and go deeper; such was my explorer's instinct. I managed to rein it in fortunately.

I found several hidden chest scattered throughout the structure, just out of reach from a normal armoured warrior but a cakewalk for a parkour enthusiast like me. A blue chest behind a rock at the top of a huge stone, two more hidden at the same forest room I found the nightvision goggle, another box at a room containing a single defunct gasoline engine, a hidden chest dangling precariously over the edge of falling at a room containing a single locker and a secret compartment hidden in the computer room. That compartment yields a single P90 submachine gun and 6 full magazines, all stained with dry blood. Knowing how dependable this weapon was, I told Sophie to carry it on her body.

Aside those hidden chests I found a single metal door at an otherwise a dead-end at the end of a long hallway. The metal door wasn't that big, just the size of an average household doors. The engraving on the door itself was what I call generically artistic. It was just decorated with flowery veins and carving of gods engraved upon its surface. The door has no doorknobs or hinges at all, making me wonder if it was a door or not.

In front of the door was a skeleton clad in a battledress uniform with MARPAT pattern. He wore a pair of thick Kevlar vest, kneepads, shin guard and a pair of combat boots. His helmet was split in half alongside his skull. In his hand was an M249 SAW with half full magazine. At his side was another ammunition can which I presume the Marine dropped in his death. He carries no rucksack, presumably taken by the soldiers up there or the demons down here stole it. His Berreta M9 was at his side, fully loaded and ready to rock. His vest yields 2 M67 hand grenades and 6 magazines for the M9. It seems that he died trying to retreat to the door. His knife was stuck between his ribcage as if the killer wants to make sure that he's dead. That's overkill in my opinion.

Not wanting to waste a good knife and vest, I ordered Sophie to wear the vest on her chest and wear the knife holster at her thigh. She was uncomfortable with the heavy ceramic plate hidden in the vest, but she perseveres. The bullets from the M9 magazine was used to reload the empty magazine on my mistress's Luger.

The door has a rectangular shape of a door and it was located in a place that a door should be. I tried everything I knew and can; pushing, pulling, whispering the word 'open' in 10 different language and even sacrificed a bomb to try and open it. The bomb thing was a bust though; I end up fighting a strange wraith-like girl in a blue dress. Her skin has the appearance of a wilted weed; the faded brown of her skin makes it look like she was ill.

She shot me a laser beam that I swear to god that was just the same one I got hit on day 1. This time I was prepared, so I rocked her head with an Earth Bullet and took care of the ones coming to back her up with a well-thrown hand grenade. The explosive threw them off their feet, but I'm not willing to run again.

Fortunately for me, I found just the right tool for the job. Weird fetish shit, meet M249 SAW, belt-fed, 150 rounds of 5.56 NATO goodness. The hallway became a battlefield; silhouettes of dying and charging fetish monster girl flashes quickly alongside the quick lightning strikes of the machinegun's muzzle blast. The walls alongside the hallway were decorated with scarlet paints and bullet holes. The floor was littered with bits and pieces of several different Monster Girls, a grim warning to anybody who was foolish enough to try and get near me. The deafening din of my machinegun cease for a few second, only for the hallway to shook up and down by a louder and muted boom which gave way to my gun's incessant chattering.

When I stop shooting, it was so that I can throw my fragmentation grenade I made. I also found some M67 grenades, a boon for a cornered madman like me against a seemingly endless wave of demonic Monster girls.

The fight lasted for I don't know, a few second, a few hours, maybe days? I don't know the time, only how worn-out my trigger finger was. Like every gun enthusiast and soldiers used to say; one mag is never enough.

The SAW and its second box of ammunition were heavy before, now it was a ton lighter thanks to me dumping its entire load onto the oncoming H.P Lovecraft's sex fantasies. The first box was on the floor at my left foot, empty while its quarter-full brother was attached to the SAW in my hand.

Sophie was a great help during the fight. I told her that when I am using another gun she must become a girl again to help me out. She may miss lots of shots, but the fast rate of fire and the high capacity of the magazine was enough to keep those fuckers at bay as I reloaded my SAW. It's a shame that she ran out of ammunition for it though, that PDW was a hell of a weapon. Definitely recommended for personal defence against any threat, especially against eldritch abomination crap that fused with some random woman corpses.

Anyway, I believe I just made the guard's job up there much easier after that massacre. It was funny that a devastating capacity for violence can be found in a man wielding a machinegun and a girl with a submachine gun.

I can't carry the machinegun up there by myself, and I don't think Sophie wanted another baggage. In the end I abandoned most of the equipment I found down there, taking just a select few to help along the journey.

How did I get those guns? Simple, from the chests hidden in the structure. Most of them was locked however, so I just busted out a simple screwdriver from my multitool kit and unscrewed the hinges of the lock. The lock may still be locked, but the lock was already separate from the lid. It took me several minutes to unscrew each screw, but at least I knew it was fool proof.

Here's the list of shit I found in here.

1\. A box of M67 hand grenades (30 grenades, 14 remaining) bears the USMC insignia (how the hell did it got here?)

2\. P90 Personal Defence Weapon with 6 full magazine including the one chambered in (1500 rounds) it's now empty.

3\. Police-issue Walkie-talkie (no signal. Still in good condition though)

4\. 1 black LAPD Kevlar vest stained with blood (still fresh.)

5\. 1 Colt Official Police Revolver chambered in 0.38 Special. 3 spent cartridge and 3 snub-nosed 0.38 Special.

6\. 3 wads of US dollars (2578$. Quite a haul here)

7\. 1 kitchen knife stained with blood. (Bloodstains still fresh, what the fuck)

8\. A box of Playboy-brand condom with 6 usable condom inside

9\. A child's motorcycle helmet (white with 3 pink stripes)

10\. A leather wallet (no ID or money)

11\. 1 Remington 870 pump-action shotgun with 8 buckshot shells.

12\. 1 packet of McDonald's double cheeseburger

13\. 1 packet of beef jerky packed in an MRE plastic bag.

14\. 2 loaf of wholemeal bread (still fresh from the oven. Warm to the touch)

15\. Instant Ramen cup (ahhh, a taste of college)

16\. M249 SAW Light machine gun with 2 carton of ammunition. (1 empty and 1 quarter-full)

17\. M9 Berreta with 6 magazines

18\. Nightvision goggle (Gen III)

And this is what we opted to carry. We didn't found any rucksack to carry around and I don't have enough room in my already packed bag already.

Sophie:

1\. 1 Remington shotgun with buckshot shells. (Easy to maintain, use and train. Will train her to use it later on. Shotgun shells are easy to make)

2\. Ceramic USMC issue vest (she expresses her discomfort on wearing the heavy vest)

3\. Military-issue M9 bayonet (attached to her thigh by a thigh holster)

4\. Walkie-talkie

Me:

1\. 3 M67 hand grenades

2\. Police issue Kevlar vest (smells like coffee, blood and ash)

3\. US dollars (in case I end up at the states again)

4\. Condom (I know nothing of the girl's biology structure, but I'm not taking any chances)

5\. M9 Berreta pistol with 6 magazine (for Latina)

6\. Nightvision goggle

After grabbing everything I need Sophie transformed into the rifle again and was slung on my back. She telepathically said that it was uncomfortable wearing that ceramic armour in rifle form. She was holding the shotgun when she turned into a rifle yet I felt no extra weight from her. She truly was a man's best friend.

I climbed back to the surface via the ladder. Despite the nightvision goggle I wore the darkness never cease, it as if nothing existed at all. No light except the small flashlight attached to my chest. Slick sweat painted my chest and face as I slowly climbed the rope ladder. My finger was raw and my arms were burning with exertion. My pack felt like it contained 30 kilogram worth of weights. Fear and desperation drove me upward as I slowly and surely make my way to the top. Twice I grabbed thin air and nearly fell off the ladder. If I don't do something I might end up falling to my doom.

In normal circumstances, this ladder is just a slight jog around the block. Not this one though, I felt like the void was sapping away at my strength as I ascended higher in some attempt of keeping me underground. I never got to where I am if I gave up every second, so I push through the pain and climbed on.

I am Alex Armin, Sniper of Gensokyo, and the Unwavering Explorer of the Scarlet Devil. I will not be silenced now or ever, not until I returned home alive and well. And with Hito as well, the Sniper never leave his bros behind…or hoes.

The welcoming committee was a little bit…enthusiastic. Latina asked me what the fuck is that goddamned rapid fire shit she just heard up here. She said that all she heard was my gunshot, except it was repeated like my pistol only ten times faster. The scholars were greedy, asking me what happened to me and what thread I am rocking now on my chest and face. Latina looked at me strangely, saying that the goggles made me look like a fucking Monster Girl. I told them to get down there themselves if they were that curious. The soldiers were flocking me, asking me what happened and what did I do. Most asked about the machinegun fire and the grenades I used during the fight.

I told them to go down there and investigate it themselves. If I was right I may have killed everybody down there. Hooray to machineguns. They were sceptical at my claim, saying that it's ridiculous that a normal human can take on every fucker down there when a whole battalion was battered once they got in. I told them to take a look if they want to.

From what she told me, I was missing for 3 hours and the battle lasted only for a few minutes. She asked me what took me so long down there. She sighed, saying that if I want some alone time with Sophie, I could just say so.

Yeah, I went down there with Sophie alone, sneak through the whole complex with high chances of me and Sophie dying, unscrews many locks on many hidden chest after performing death-defying manoeuvre to get there in the first place while trying my best to stay quiet, enacted a very risky and loud last stand due to me being a dumbass (using a bomb? What the fuck possessed me back then to even think about that? After all the problem I faced to stay quiet…) I fought against hordes of weird Monster Girls just to stay alive and nearly went mad in the void (again…) just to fuck Sophie alone. Yeah, that's the real reason. It's not like I enjoyed sex anyway, especially after being intensely raped by my own TEAMMATE…

Fuck, why am I contemplating this question? I'm keeping my dick for my mi-

Fuck, I already threw away my chances of being together with her romantically.

Fuck me.

Oh shit, if you're reading this Latina, I don't mean it literally. Please don't rape me.

Anyway, I am back to the makeshift workshop again. Yay!

I gave Latina the M9 pistol and the ceramic USMC armour from Sophie. Sophie was glad to be out of that suffocating straightjacket. Fortunately for her, the police vest I wore has no plate and it was designed to slip inside clothing anyway, so I gave her the vest. She said that it was better than that military vest. Thanks to my obsession on training everybody in my crew how to handle a gun she knew how to properly use that M9. Gun control maybe a joke, but gun safety is not.

Latina is a strong woman, so she can handle that military vest like nothing. Fortunately, the vest offered better protection stat-wise so she was sold on the idea of wearing strange armour from Tartarus. She said that she stopped questioning what I do after everything she saw me do. Thanks to that vest she has places for her to place her pistol magazine in.

I gave Sophie the police vest and told her to slip it under her jacket. She complied and said that it felt strangely familiar. I asked her what so familiar about it. She said she recognized the smell of dried blood and ashes. From what I heard from the history of Mithra, I think it's a safe bet to know what she was talking about.

The shotgun has a brown leather sling attached to it so it was easy for her to carry it around. Fortunately, shotgun shells are easy to make so I spend another2 hour making gunpowder and shells to craft shotgun shells. I asked several dudes to help me out in making bullets as well. In short, we spent around 3 hours making bullets for our weapons. It should take longer considering we made them by hands, but thanks to magic everything was faster than normal.

After finishing those bullets I decided to teach Latina how to use the M9 properly. She was a natural thanks to me teaching her and Sophie and others how to handle a gun safely over and over again. Like Bruce Lee used to say; I fear not the man who practiced 1000 kicks once, but I fear a man who practiced one kick a 1000 times.

It seems that I have explored many places in the continent, yet I still don't understand what's going on. From what the scholar's said to me they said that there's another Tartarus Rift I should scope out nearby Rostrum, but they said that it's a dangerous route going in there as well as the fact that nobody actually ventured there. I told them not to worry too much.

I am combing through this countryside as much as I can and still doesn't find him. If the White Rabbit was true about me meeting him during chapter 2, it would mean that I have to finish exploring this continent as in finishing the Ilias Continent chapter to reach the second chapter. That makes the most sense for me right now.

I already checked out Happiness Village, Midas Village, Pornof, the mountains nearby Pornof, the Cave of Trials, Iliasville, Iliasburg, Port Ilias, and Midas's goldmine, Enrika, Lemuse Beach, Lost Wood, Mithra, and Nameless Slums. It seems that the only notable place left was Rostrum and its Tartarus Rift. They were situated at the Eastern Ilias Continent. After that, I might search the countryside more before heading toward the other Continent.

That's it; tomorrow I'll head toward Rostrum caves and visit the damn place. It will be an arduous journey considering the fact that Rostrum was blocked off by an impressive mountain range. There's also the fact that there are two towers that I never visited in my journey and a vast expanse of forest, mountain, plains and mesa that I never visited. I'll explore Rostrum and Tartarus first, and then I'll explore the rest of the area.

Note to self: I should stop writing long-ass journal entry. At this rate it'll be forever for me to write about my adventure here.

Guess I'll stop here. Next Stop: Rostrum.

Nighty-night journal.


	23. Chapter 19

14xx/5/18

18 days since arrival…

Well, I can cross the Harpy Tower off my bucket list.

I returned back to the Happiness Village as it was the nearest settlement to the tower. I met the same nude fairy blacksmith again at her spot, which is a small circular stone arena in the middle of the village. She was surprised that my rifle was imbued with a very potent magic that can create a Monster Girl out of anything. Her eyes nearly popped out of her face as I told Sophie to transform. A brief discussion later, I decided to head toward the official weapon shop manned by the siblings to see if there's anything I need.

Aside from selling the gold equipment from Latina (she said she was tired carrying that thing around) there was nothing I need at the moment. I briefly considered a simple necklace made from purple jade, but I squashed down the idea completely.

We had lunch at the Church under the Shaded Tree, a church which consisted only of a lone priest under a huge oak tree. The tree provides shade for us as we nourished our body. I chatted with the priest to ask him about the current faith trend of this world.

Apparently the worship of Ilias was still strong, but it was considered to be waning due to the absence of Goddess Ilias and the lack of judgement from said goddess. It was equivalent to my world's Christianity, which was considered the biggest religion in the world yet many seems to take it for granted. Another religion was on the rise, a goddess by the name of Lady Sylph captured the heart of the youth by its tolerant and loving religion. From what I heard from the priest, it seems that Sylph doesn't give a fuck about what we do, as long as her follower didn't hurt other people. They did host many fun parties though.

After we recovered our strength and supply we decided to head north to find the Harpy Tower. But first we have to go through a thick forest thicker than my mistress's thigh and twice denser than my buddy Hito. Sometimes I wondered how he survived this long when he was so fucking dense. Hell, a girl can threw her naked toward his dick and he still won't give a shit!

The travel was not that bad to be honest. We were attacked a lot, but at this point we just literally swat away our opponent like flies. We encountered a new Girl though; her body indicates that she was a woman fused with a honeybee and a honeycomb. Fortunately, her honeycomb was legit honey and they occasionally dropped a quarter pieces of those combs when I shot at it. Latina stored all them honey in her jars at her saddlebag. At least we have more rations along the way.

We reached the tower around dawn; the sun makes way for the moon as we approaches the crumbling monument of history. The tower was a 20-story tall stone tower which is covered in moss, creepers, cracks and moulds. On the outside it looks like it was abandoned; it was hard to think that a village of Harpy hides in this dilapidated building. Several pieces of rubble sticks out like sore thumb as I observed the area.

The door was a set of large mahogany wooden door reinforced by iron pallet and bars. I tried to open the door and to my disappointment the door remains intact. Not wanting to spend the night outside when a perfectly good shelter beckons, I decided to return toward the northern side of the tower.

Like I stated before, odd chunk of bricks and rubble sticks out of the otherwise steep and lateral wall structure. I saw several cracks with lights coming out of it. With a quite resolve I decided to scale the wall to get inside the tower and open the gate manually for Latina.

As a man who loves to do activities involving any form of climbing, I was used to the usual vertigo sensation as a man literally hangs on at the edge of life and death by his hands and feet. My hand which was used to the pen was also acquaintance with the harsh, craggy surface of a small jutting rock as I climbed the wall. Sophie was at my back, ready to fight in case shit hit the fan. Latina decided to collect dead leaves off the ground around the tower to create a bed in case we fell off.

Isn't my Centaur one of the most thoughtful girls I ever met?

The climb wasn't long. I reached level three and encountered a hole in the wall. I shined through the hole and to my delight found a room which was considered empty. A small acrobatic stunt later, I and Sophie managed to squeeze through the wall and end up in a room which I considered as dank. A staircase beckoned me forward, so I used it to reach floor level.

Along the way, I found several Harpies sitting idly along the hallway at ground level. It seems that while the young hero named Luka is successful in his mission, not everybody was cured of their disease. They were the guardian and caretaker of the queen until she became better. They also said that I should stay in the first level area as many more unhinged characters can be found above ground floor. It seems that many harpies weren't actually sick to begin with…

The gate was then duly opened to let in a tired-looking Centaur. So here I am, in the tower, surrounded by harpy guards and maids. Several bonfires were lit throughout the hallway, illuminating the area with an ethereal orange glow. We took a spot beside the staircase.

Anyway, I'm tired. I'll write what happens at Slug Tower. Night night journal.


	24. Chapter 20

14xx/5/19

19 days since arrival…

Here I am in Medal Queen's Castle, a guest of the Medal Queen. And I don't even know her real name…

Let me tell you what happened. I asked the local guard to ask the Harpy Queen if she knew where the hell the Medal Queen castle is. Turns out it was just north of the tower. All we need to do is head 6 miles west of the tower and head north all the fucking way until we get out of the damn wood and hit the plains until we found a square white structure out in the middle of nowhere.

Okay, when I saw a fucking Roman Villa out in the wild, I did not expect a fucking full-blown forest be inside the house or any at all. Once the door cracks open what I saw is dirt, like somebody has cut a path through a dense forest. Following said path reveals a clearing in the middle of the woods (How the duck does that work?) which contains three Monster Girls resting around a cold campfire outside a fucking smaller wooden house beside a fucking stream. A house in the wood within a house…how does that work?

Latina surprises me again with her intellect by stating an answer that I'll foresee the use in the future: It's Ilia, what the fuck do you expect?

To be fair, it was a good place for a hideout though and the girls don't pay much attention to our wayward self, just bathing in the glory of the dampness of their home or something. What do you expect; they were liquid creature after all. Earthworm girl, Slug Girl and Leech Girl, the type you know that likes dampness.

I met the occupant inside their cosy little home. I was shocked to find out that it was another human battke fucker, no thank you! She wore a piece of ridiculously sexualized red cheongsam (the skirt was around 14 inch long, and her fucking chest got a hole right at the cleavage between the boobs like one of those new-fangled keyhole bikini I 'accidentally' bought for my best friend. That was a really awkward moment for me and her)

I'm not gonna battle-fuck her; she got almost the same name as my buddy back at the Mansion and she was a Chinese too! A Chinese, martial artist who was a battle-fucker! Thank god she has light strawberry blond hair instead of bloody scarlet like my friend back home, it'll be twice as awkward when I got home!

Anyway, there was a bridge beside the house over a clear lake leading toward a square stone structure. We decided to cross the bridge and enter the structure.

What we saw is a small room with a series of pillars supporting the cement roof. On a wall in front of me was a sign. It told me that I should bring my medals to the Medal Queen. As if I have one. An old man stood beside a stair. He told us that the room above will take us to a small island that houses the Queen's castle. Bidding him a good day and thanks, we ascended the stairs to a room.

In the middle of the room was a platform rising from a shallow artificial pool and bordered by stone pillars as well. Ascending toward the top via their carefully chiselled staircase shows that the platform contains a simple square floor between two stone benches. Behind the floor tile was three totem dedicated to some weird-ass knight with weird-ass names. We step on the tile and was teleported to a fucking mansion.

The mansion (or monastery as the inhabitant insists it was) was crafted entirely by fine carved marble. The room was lit by several torches that burn with blue flame. Two statues depicting Aphrodite flanked between the staircases, a silent protector for anybody ascending the stair toward the altar above.

This is not the castle, this is simply a monastery, or so the priest says to me. The real castle can be found north-west of this monastery. Bidding them farewell, I decided to leave the monastery and hit the dirt again.

We head toward North-West, hitting the plains for a long time until we hit our first desert. Goddamn I hate desert. No water, fucking hot all year long, scorpions and creepy crawlies as main source of food, and hell, even the night was ridiculously freezing. The place may have been the best place to observe the stars at night and probably the only place you can see the sky in its full glory, but for god sake humans can do nothing but die here. Or not, goddamn those Bedouin were one of the strongest motherfucker I ever met in my life.

Several hours of trekking underneath the sun, we hit a solitary oasis in the middle of the desert. We decide to rest our head for the middle of the day as the sun was the most painful in this period. It was so hot; I have to remove my hoodie and shirt, which was followed by my buddies here. Unfortunately, this presents another 'training session' with the girls, claiming that the semen I secretes secretly contain sun blocker and can be used to cool down an MG's body. Knowing how stupid it was to resist I simply decide to be on top for the intercourse.

It was impossible to be on top when your partner was a fucking centaur, but my rifle was a little bit more obliged. It seems that I am twice energetic when on top of my female rifle, what with her huggable and voluptuous figure… But all and all, I managed to keep my girls satisfied.

Anyway, after that exercise we decide to hit the trail again in the afternoon as the sun starts to lose its painful heat. The yellow glow of the sun was beautiful to look at to be fair.

Just as the sun was about to slip by we saw a square building right at the horizon, the square building just appearing smack dab in the middle of the setting sun, letting out a holy glow around said structure. We slowly made our way toward the building, our eyes not believing what we saw.

I expected the castle to be bigger though, it looks more like a mansion to be fair. The Greek mansion has a soft sloping roof that was glowing as we approach the mansion. The walls around the mansion was negligent, just a circle of 8 feet tall concrete wall. I saw several soldiers patrolling the castle, but I can see several ways of blasting this place to pieces.

Whoever this Medal Queen is, she's more likely nobility who got the title because of her little quirk of collecting medals. I mean, we do name a guard back in my hometown as a 'Slav King' because he can down a whole barrel of fucking vodka and still sober. Not to mention that fucker acts like a fucking walking gopnik culture reference. But the squat party he threw was fun though…

The inside was bigger than the outside though, I give her that. When I got inside what greets me was a gazebo with four branching hallways from the living room. The living room's floor consisted of a single large piece of a red comfy carpet. Also, the fucking path in said hallway was tiled in gold plates, signifying the owner's riches. And before I forget, the living room was also lit up by two tall lamps that were burning with green fire.

Several members of nobility and warrior class wanders around the gazebo, wondering upon what they wished from said Queen. A warrior clad in full metal was torn between choices of being made a full noble to a chance of obtaining a mighty weapon. One noblewoman was counting her medals at the corner of the room, musing out loud on how much the Queen's treasure was. Another noble clad in a simple robe told me that despite his status he found out that he can be recognized as a noble just by exchanging some medals for a proof of nobility. I don't need proof as I'm the walking definition of proof of bravery as it.

The north hallway was guarded by two spearman clad in full iron armour, saying that I should behave properly in front of the royalty. I am not suicidal, so I accepted their advice readily. Steeling me, me and my merry crew of ragtag adventurer met the queen in her glory.

On top of her golden chariot sits a woman that exudes grace and power from her core. While my mistress exudes same thing, she also exude a charming and adorable childish nature that wins me over the first time meeting her. The Medal queen was anything but childish. Her brown eyes shone with deep wisdom and maturity behind her glasses as she greets me. Her smile exudes maturity and so is her word, the crafted skill of wordplay she wields, for she is the Medal Queen. She requires medals, and for the medals she shall give you what I desire.

Problem is, I don't have any medals.

She smiled, saying that she understand if I don't have any. She said that I was free to spend the night in the castle though as the sun has set and the desert was known for their deep cold night and the creepy crawlies that lurks in the sands. The castle was comfy and warm, and the idea of spending the cold night outside was quite daunting, so we took up to her invitation.

The room we took was quite luxurious in fact; every furniture we saw was made expertly with expensive materials by skilled craftsman. I knew quality when I see one. The chair I am sitting now as I'm writing this might have been worth around 3000 dollars apiece! Hell, even the inkpot I used to write this entry looks like it came far from the Eastern bloc. I was glad they have inkpot and feather as writing materials. While the ballpoint pen invention was very convenient for me, I still love the classic feel of writing using feathers. The smell and texture of the goose feather in my hand, the smell of black ink on top of fresh sheets of paper…Books are balm for the soul, and I wished that many people would read more.

Anyway, the night is late and I have a long journey to go. Till we meet again journal…


	25. Chapter 21

14xx/5/20

20 days since arrival…

Sup journal.

Latina was a lifesaver.

She has travelled on the mountain range a few times, that's how she manages to get to me back in the mountains at Pornof. The cave leading toward Rostrum was just somewhere at the mountain where I met her and rescued Richo.

She knows the place and has travelled there a few times, so she can use the Harpy feather to fast travel there. She said that Rostrum is at the other side of the mountain and she had explored the place. She said that she don't want to teleport to the village, saying that she ends up teleporting over a poison marsh last time she tried that.

So we decided to teleport to the mouth of Rostrum Cave that would give me traditional access toward the abandoned village. After a wonderful breakfast with the Medal Queen I decided to ask if she knew anything about guns and if she would be willing if I exchange knowledge for something she might have. She laughed and proceeds to lead me toward a door down a hallway accompanied by two guards.

Bullets, bullets of every kind of ammunition rounds neatly stored in barrels stacked high up to the ceiling. Inside the room was not only ammunition, but guns that ranges from a small basic revolver to a fucking bazooka just propped haphazardly beside a box of TNT.

It wasn't for the fact that almost every weapon there stored in such dangerous manner I would've been impressed by the armoury. I checked every weapon to find them mostly with their safety off and the rounds chambered in at least 1 out of 3 guns. She has 9 rifle, 15 handguns, 5 machineguns, 3 mortar and 30 muskets. The muskets were the one I found to be the safest as they have no ammo inside and the powder was removed. She said that she has a certain fascination for makina and she sent several of her personal explorers to collect such weaponries. It seems nobody ever bothered to teach her how to keep guns properly.

It took me and some help from their servants to rearrange everything inside the armoury. Bullets were rearranged by calibre and type in wooden boxes. Guns were unloaded and the safety set to on. We arranged rifles and assault rifles based by size and calibre and placed them inside some barrels. The one that was too big for the barrels was disassembled and placed in their respective boxes. I wrote down the instruction for each weapon and ammunition as well as the schematics for a proper gun racks and gun lockers.

The Medal Queen was impressed by my intellect and asked me if I'm willing to teach some of her warriors to use one of these in exchange for an item or two. I smiled and accepted the deal.

The training wasn't that bad. As a chief firearm instructor of the mansion back home, I was used to teaching arrogant greenhorns on a daily basis. But having only 10 hardened and respectful warriors made the job easier. The desert was a good place as any to train.

The desert's air was split by thunderous gunfire as the lessons carries on. It took us 3 hours of training for this. Yep, I'm pretty thorough in my training. Almost everybody in the mansion back home was a qualified marksman under my care. Wonder if they were still training though, can't be there for every training day. My second-in-command can do the job, but for how long? How long am I gonna be here? I don't even know how to get home, or if I can go home.

Fuck, I'm getting homesick in just a couple of weeks. Usually it took me a full year or so. Maybe because the fact that I don't have the option of returning makes the prospect of home much sweeter?

Anyway, the house of Medal Queen won't end up being blown up by their bountiful supply of C4 and ammunition now.

The Queen was impressed by my work and said that I can replenish my ammunition here as well as a single gift. She then led me and my crew onto the treasure room.

From here I saw several stuff that I found to be fascinating but useless. I can be a king or a noble just from a simple piece of paper that works as a 'proof' of some sort. But why would I want to be a king? Did I own land or something? I don't like the idea of being constrained by ridiculously large amount of paperwork on a daily management basis. I'm an explorer not a fucking politician. If I'm correct being a warrior caste is more than enough to be a noble. I saw several ornate swords that wafted with some kind of innate magical energy. Speaking of magic, what the hell happened to my own magic supply?

What? You think I don't know magic? My home was also a home of magic; it was just that I prefer guns over magic that I used those things on a daily basis. The guns really helped out against people who have immunity over magic damage back home. We're kinda notorious for a reason. And working under a beautiful magic scholar means that I need to know magic as well.

But here's the catch, ever since I been here I can't feel the connection I have with the environment. My magic relies mostly on manipulation of the magic manna in the environment. The magical essence of this world was very different from my homeland, making my magic capability got fucked. Not to mention, ever since I got my hands on Sophie I can barely muster up a single spark from my finger to start up a bonfire! It as if I lost my magic ability all of sudden!

Anyway, there were some article of clothing that was aesthetically pleasing such as a rainbow-hued dress and this gigantic pair of bra that was designed to look like a pair of angel wings. But I don't need those, what I need is something that allows me to use magic again. Having to rely on Ilias Herbs wasn't a good idea in the long run.

The Medal Queen was actually something of a magician as well, so she knew a thing or two about magic. She said that the reason why I cannot used magic was because of my job doesn't allow me so. She said that job influences the amount of remaining magic pool inside the body. Mages usually have higher magic pool than normal warriors. Jobs that do not require the use of magic will have the excess magic poured into other stats to balance out their strength against other jobs. Like how magician has higher magic pool but lower physical endurance while warriors are a physical powerhouse yet magically inept. She said that magic is a useful thing to learn but she said that I was doing fine without magic.

But I want to use magic. This place reeks of magic and guns ain't my only forte. I have quite an arsenal of spells inside my head as an errand boy for a magician. I asked her if there was anything I can use to allow me to use magic. She fortunately has just the right item for it.

She came back with three scrolls, each one with different properties. She said the scrolls contained knowledge for me to use. But unfortunately, none of them fits me. White Magic fit mostly on holy magic, something I'm not good at. Black magic is something me and my mistress agreed to never get near unless shit hit the fan. Taoist was the closest thing I have for my magic signal, but my magic doesn't focus only the body and mind.

In the end, I decided that it might be a better idea for her to owe me a favour for me to cash on in the future. She agreed to it and wrote down my name and my deed for the favour in case shit hit the fan. She said that she'll look around for magic items that I need. She said that I can try and be a magician, but I need to give up my guns for that.

I cannot give up Sophie, so I pass.

After replenishing our ammunition and bombs we decided to teleport toward the mouth of the Cave. I have Thread of Guidance in case I need to get the hell out of the goddamn cave if needed.

Trying to shake off the feeling of being a Marine in Vietnam we decided to get through the cave system. It wasn't that bad, somebody has dug a proper route throughout the cave system in a maze-like pattern. Took us a few false turns to finally found the exit. Even then we have to navigate through the mountain range. It wasn't that bad, it wasn't a barren wasteland from the first time I get here. The air was cool up here and the ecosystem here was green. Green is good, green means life, green means sustenance, hopefully not alien sustenance.

After a few seconds of running around the mountain range we manage to get at the other side of the mountain. It wasn't a barren wasteland as I thought. It's good, green is good. Green means life, and life means beauty and sustenance.

Speaking of life, the local wildlife doesn't take our appearance kindly. We were attacked several times during our travel, but they were not that strong and a single booming gunshot was enough to scare most of them away.

Rostrum was a depressing sight, an abandoned village devoid of life and almost saturated with poison. I finally understand why the fuck Latin was hesitant on the idea of teleporting here. Several pools of toxic sludge appeared throughout the village, the purple sludge of the pool emits out thin haze of toxic mist from the surface. It looks like it can corrode metal from the look of it. I definitely don't want to end up teleporting in the middle of it.

The place looks like it was blasted to shit by some American C-130 during an invasion or fallout from a nuclear holocaust. Several wooden houses have collapsed from the inside, gaping holes is what left of some spots where a house used to sit. The air was heavy with danger and silence, like the aura of lingering radioactive in a village near Chernobyl. The silence was deafening, the silence that was disconcerting and disorienting, and the type that drives many people insane. We are a creature relying on interaction and senses. When we are deprived of our sense our mind starts to go haywire trying to emulate and remember the missing sense. The sound of a loved one's laughter, the sight of an old waterhole. That happens to me a lot when I travelled to such location. I can hear the giggle of children as I wandered among the carousels in an abandoned carnival in Chernobyl. I can hear the anguished cries of the Jews as they were gassed en-masse in a concentration camp back in Auschwitz.

Here? I can hear the far-away bustling noise of the morning market as mothers and fathers mingled with each other to sell and buy local produces. I can hear the local children giggling in a game of tag in the middle of the village while local guards watch over them with kind eyes. That's what happens when I end up in a silent town. My mind starts to fuck up with me.

Also, right just in front of me around 6 miles away was a large crevasse just likes the rift back in the first Tartarus Rift.

It seems that somebody has attached a ladder at the edge of the rift. It also means that Latina cannot go down there. Guess it's a two-man (or rifle-girl) job.

Going down the ladder was a stressful act that I wish I never felt again, but I have to in the name of adventuring. The darkness was both maddening and stifling, a dangerous combination that always wears down upon my already fucked up psyche as it.

The place down there looks a lot like the one at the first Tartarus Rift, if the design was any indication. Looks like a goddamn underground military base that was abandoned for a long time. But unlike the first one I didn't found anything at all, not even a fucking knife. We didn't see any new variation on the enemy too, and fortunately this time we didn't get caught.

But this place also has the same door I found back in the first Tartarus Rift, warts and all. Except the first door back there has a carving of a lion at the top left corner of the door while this one has the drawing of a pair of fish. If my mind was right the doors might have been marked using horoscope sign. I bet that the next door I found at the next Tartarus Rift would be a crab, or a pair of virgin.

I knew that blasting that door open would be bad idea, so I decided to just leave it be. Thanks to that decision I manage for the first time in this place manage to not get caught at all. It was twice as stressful to dodge everything and twice as dangerous, but the allure of the age-old game of hide-and-seek was strong, not to mention effective in any assault or defensive position. The adrenaline and thrill of simply moving around without being found was out of the world!

Whoever who attach the fucking ladder really a master thief; he manages to get every treasure down here and not get caught by one. Or did he? I mean, he might get caught in the middle of the act and got his body dissolved or something. But if that was the case, what about the loot inside here? The only explanation I have is that there are more than one motherfucker pulling off the heist and finished the job when his comrade failed or they manages to get out together. Who knows?

Anyway, we didn't find anything, but we can safely say that we have explored every tourist spot here in this continent. So what now?

The Rabbit said that I'll find good old Hito right in Chapter Two. If I was right, it means that she means that the chapter she meant is the first continent and the second chapter should be the second continent across the sea. The problem is, how do I get there?

Ach, I'll think of something. I built many shit back home, maybe I can make a fucking submarine? Magic is everything right? Nah, not doing it, I need an astronomical amount of materials to make one. And even if I can make one out of magic I need my original magic pool. I heard there was a job that allows me to create materials outta thin air. Might be useful, but do I need to? Maybe I can convince Latina to change her job to be a magician or something? Or maybe Sophie can be a magician? Last I heard Weapon Girls have quite a magical reputation.

Ach, I'll think of something. I'll write to you journal when I got there. Night night.


	26. Chapter 22

14xx/7/7

83 days ever since arrival…

Sup journal.

I'm in luck, a really good luck.

The sea has been cleared, the storm has finally let up. It seems a strange monster or something stirs up the water for god knows how long. And many people said it was the same shota hero who cleared the sea. The sea was still rough and requires powerful craft to move, but they were not in danger of being attacked by overly powerful monsters…or not.

Getting back to the docks, I was surprised by the lack of ships on the shipyard. I saw many small boats or fishing trawler harboured at the port, yet no large warships or even trading craft. Asking around the bloc, I found a captain of a trading ship whom just came from the other side.

The captain was an old man in his 50s, but his strength was undeniable. He wore an admiral jacket with a an expertly crafted vest made out of metal, fabric and corals which I believe as his main form of protection alongside the Nagant revolver at his hip and a sharp cutlass at his side. He said that makina was still studied extensively and was considered a very new invention that can only be used by the rich and trained few. He said that he was lucky to get his hands on one of the new makina weaponries from San Ilia. He said that the revolver took him days to understand, but he knew that he'll never go back to flintlock ever again.

He said that the reason nobody ever bothered moving between the two continents was because of a war brewing at the other side. So far the port and San Ilia was far from the frontline, but the fear of an invading army appearing outta nowhere and striking them in the middle of the voyage was visible. It does not help that the sea was brimming with pirates as well.

The captain also said that the pirates were better equipped than normal and some fought like an elite soldier. He never likes rumour as they tend to create mutiny, but even he can hear the rumbling of rolling shot on the poop deck.

He said that the last voyage was pretty rough, twice he got attacked by pirates and both party ends up on a truce due to smashing each other to shit. He said that he wished to trade with some merchants from Pornof to get someone to reinforce his ship better.

This was a golden opportunity for me. I asked him if he was interested in equipping his ship with specialized makina operator to even out the odd. Hell, I can even make some mortar for extra firepower. I decided to strike a deal right there. I'll reinforce his ship and maybe make some ammunition for him and he'll provide transportation.

He accepted my deal, albeit a little bit sceptical. Using a feather I returned to the Queen Medal's castle. I decided to cash in the favour by asking for the guns from her armoury. She said that she traded fewer medals for more treasure anyway. She said that I can only carry what I need, not what I want.

Fine by me, I'm the guy who created a proper army back home. Using more feathers (The shop at the port has many) I ordered the sailors to carry those guns back to the ship. We have enough for a dedicated platoon to protect the ship. It was a good number. We have 6 Lewis machineguns and 4 M2 Browning machine guns. For the soldiers we have 12 Chinese-made AK-47, 20 Lee-Enfield rifles, 20 M1 Garand and 6 MP7 Submachineguns. All and all we have enough to arm a couple platoon of marines on the ship.

The first day was spending training the marines on how to use the weaponries. Lewis machineguns and the M2 Browning was few, so we attached them to the bow and the top part of the ship as the placement allows them to mow down any motherfucker trying to board the ship or even for a little sail-by.

I taught the captain and the ship marine on how to use their full-auto rifles on the event of an attack. I mostly took the Chinese-made AKs and some precious genuine MP7 submachine guns. I then took them for training with the new weapon they have. The one I found to be exceptionally accurate was then given the Lee-Enfield and some M1 Garand as a marksman.

The second day I visited the mines of Pornof with some marines to grab more iron ore as well as the chemical needed to make explosives. The mine became busy as burly sailors hauled sacks of ore from said mine. The marines and I was stronger than anything the cave can offer. The local Mimic population gotta face a whole squadron of battle-hardened marines all by themselves.

Heading back to the port, I decided to hit the local blacksmith and craft some simple grenade launchers for extra firepower. My mortar is simply a popgun firing hand grenades at certain distances. It was lighter and quieter. It was low-pressured launcher like an airsoft rifle, but the power came from the ammunition types.

Explosives can blast holes in the wooden board of an enemy's ship. Fire can set sails on fire. Flashbangs can create ruckus on board when needed and fragmentation shells were practically giant shotgun shells for mortars. The handheld grenade launchers look like a single barrel with only a wood pistol stock at the back of said barrel.

The ships houses several powerful elemental magicians, their mission was to manipulate the sea current throughout the journey for faster travel or extra mobility during combat. One of them was an alchemist that claimed that he can make almost anything out of SP or whatever kind of magic they used. I persuaded that guy to transmute a fuck-ton of ammo to reinforce the Sea Walker. Damn that name was unoriginal as fuck. Using some leftover money I procured a small stock of manna potion for the guy to consume as he tirelessly recreates every bullet by magic.

On the third day we attached iron plates upon the hull of the ships to reinforce it. The process took us two weeks as the iron pellets was crafted to fit at the hull of the ship. Along the time they were reinforcing it was hard at work teaching the marines how to shoot straight. Don't know how useful it was once we fought against mermaid pirates in a tempest.

The whole process of reinforcing said craft took us a month and a half. But the end result was goddamn satisfying. We have a ship plated with iron armour capable of absorbing a shitton of blows, a whole battalion of crack shot marines ready to put holes in something at a 300 miles radius. In short, I and some dudes converted the ship into a warship.

The captain was impressed by my work, so I manage to get a ride for free.

I'm gonna stop writing now, something happened at the deck.


	27. Chapter 23

14xx/9/3

158 days ever since arrival….

All right journal. I'm back.

Phew, this damned thing survived everything does it? From being tossed around alongside his owner like a ragdoll to being doused by seawater this tome still operates like before. There were some words that were smudged but overall most of the words are still legible to read. But we're not here to discuss how the hell my journal survived this long. We have a big problem.

Sophie is gone.

Usually I would just say fuck it and buy another as it was simply a rifle and it was lost at the bottom of the sea, but this is different. My rifle is not some inanimate, disposable piece of equipment as it. Nobody beside me has the expertise to recreate the rifle, let alone find the same imbuement Sophie has. The rifle was no longer a weapon, she was a companion, and Alex Armin never abandons his soldiers.

It happened during the 2nd month and a half of our journey. The winds generated by the fairies and magician on-board significantly hasten the journey. During my time on the ship I spent my time teaching the marines how to be a marine and just experimenting upon the elemental aspect of the surrounding. It seems that my inner magic system has finally adapted to this world's magical essence, so I supposed to be allowed to use them. Unfortunately, my magic was very limited thanks to Sophie continuously leaching off mine to stay alive or something.

Anyway, the first sign of trouble came from the west as the main spotter shouted out a warning. Soon, we saw an unnaturally large wave coming toward our direction. The blow should have capsized us if not for the gallant effort of the elemental mages on board. Using the scope upon my rifle I saw a contingent of mermaids swimming along the wave, making the sea current twice as rough. Soon after, the ship starts to rock like mad before a larger ship appeared just underneath us. Yeah, that rotting ship just appeared out of nowhere and nearly punctured us. The ship looks like it has spent half its life rotting on the seabed. The smell of rot stung my nose as I laid my eyes upon the floating shipwreck. Atop the ship lies much kind of Monster Girls that looks like they were fused with all manners of crustacean creatures. Girls with crab body clacked their crab claw menacingly, showing off their sharp talon. Muscle-bound mermaids twirled tridents in a show of challenge as they hissed at us. A girl attached on top of a horrifying holy-shit-fuck-what-the-fuck-is-that-shit that looks like a mix between sea cucumber and some kind of Stephen King demon rubbed their wand suggestively, which effectively turned me off. Some girls that look like they were made entirely out of seaweed flitted to and fro from their warrior comrade, looking very forlorn as they do so. I almost felt sorry for the Seaweed Girl.

As they aimed their cannon at us I wondered what they gonna shoot at us with wet gunpowder. My question was answered with a flurry of high pressured water bomb that swept the ship crew off their feet; some fell overboard and was taken by the mermaids to their watery doom.

In all my life of being an explorer I never have one fought on a ship against pirates consisted of Lovecraftian Monster Girls. Like always aside from fear a primal emotion of excitement wells up from my heart as the battle started. Sophie seems to follow my sentiment as the rifle warms up with a slight vibration akin to a playstation controller.

The automatic weapon on board starts firing and almost everybody on the deck was obliterated. The ship while surprisingly sturdy was nothing more than a glorified shipwreck, and soon the ship sunk as the cannons bombarded their lower body. Our automatics and snipers make sure that they cannot respond without being shot at.

At first I felt like this was way too easy, just way too easy. I was proven right when a loud roar was heard from our west. A blue dragon just appeared right from the sky, its large maw slowly turning to orange as to light the whole damned area with fire. My heart pounds harder than normal as the first flaming barrage hits the deck.

Some of us got hit by the flame and was burned entirely, their thin charcoal black body cooked like someone trying to burnt a piece of meat and end up blasting the whole oven instead. Latina shouted to us, saying that lightning peels off the scale of dragons, allowing them to be vulnerable.

I ordered the mortar crew to aim their handheld grenade launcher toward the maw of the dragon as it does another fly-by. It became quite cocky now, and the fucker got near, near enough to fully incinerate the survivor…

But near enough for the mortar to do the job.

The salvo of high explosives round nearly split the dragon's jaw apart; such was the damage it wrought. The dragon roared in agony and whipped its massive tail toward the ship mast, coincidentally where I am. I jumped from the post and grabbed a nearby rope to as the tail made contact with the hardwood mast. I felt myself flying through the air, moments before hitting the hard cold deck.

The mortar crew was ready again; the ease of use the simple M79 grenade launcher has allowed them to reload their weapon at a faster rate as well firing it with fewer problems. I was still disoriented when suddenly I heard another shout.

The earlier group of pirates were actually hiding under the sea and now they were boarding the ship, trying their best to kill off the mortar crew. The ship once again rocked to and fro as the waterborne enemy manipulate the sea again.

The battle was brutal as modern warfare clashes with ancient warfare, sword versus guns, magic versus explosion. The marines manages to fend off the pirates, some manages to fight off a squadron of pirates all by himself with a little help from Heckler&Koch. The ship rocked to and fro as the sea pirates has given up boarding the damned ship and tries to capsize it instead. The magician on board was trying their best but it wasn't enough, soon after we found ourselves flung to and fro as we desperately tries to stay afloat.

In that chaos, I lost Sophie.

The ship was thrown into the sky, then whipped left to right like a children's toy as the sea pirates manipulates the sea current. The dragon despite its bleeding jaw tries to swallow the ship, much to our distress. Its teeth were stuck at the iron panels of the ship, yet the dragon cannot dislodge the ship from its injured jaw.

The captain was a beast. He ran straight toward the dragon jaw that was biting down upon the front of the ship. He quickly slashed the jaw of the dragon, widening the wound alongside the dragon's jaw. The dragon roared and tried its best to dislodge itself from the bow, but its jaw was stuck permanently and the only way for it to get it out of his mouth was to split his mouth wider, and that is what the captain did.

After rallying several other soldiers to me, I ordered a salvo of explosive right inside the dragon's gaping maw. The captain manages to jump away before the large explosion separates the lower jaw of the dragon from its head. The massive tongue flapped freely as its missing jaw continues to spout gouts of blood. With a final cry the captain shot the bastard with his revolver, an insignificant move yet a symbolic one as the dragon fell into the sea.

The battle was violent, yet it wasn't so bad if I DID NOT LOSE SOPHIE. Where the fuck is she?!

The first sign of missing her is when I felt a hot rush of magic coursing through my vein. Usually I felt a slight buzz as the connection I have with Sophie allows me to communicate with her mentally as well as restricting my magic capability to the point the only thing I can use them as a passive enhancer such as increased focus and stamina.

But this? The familiar sense of magic rush back in and I nearly stumbled as the magic threatens to overload me again. Manna Overdose is very painful to anybody who practiced magic. As I usually pushed my magic to the limit that side effect and I became close friend. The severity and the occurrence of said effect became less the more training I made.

Yes I can use magic. I'm an errand boy for a magician back home. My mistress is one hell of a magician. She can teach a magic-less human sniper into a fireball slinging, potty-mouthed Mario.

I raised my pistol and aimed at the fleeing pirate, but it was no use, the fucker was faster than me. The faint signal becoming fainter and fainter until it became nothing but an inkling of connection can be heard at the back of my head, like an image of a forgotten dream.

I lost them.

I fucking lost them.

I fucking lost my beautiful rifle to a bunch of LEGGED FISH.

My mood was really sour when I got back toward the ship. My magic system in my body has finally adapted to this world's magical essence, so I found myself with a ready access of magic in my body, as well as the entire library of spells I have that I cannot use beforehand. Oh how much fun I would have with fire…

We got ourselves several prisoner, 2 Seaweed Girls, 1 Sea Anemone Girl and the same Girl attached to an onahole that was so horrendously mutated that it looks like it spent 500 years at the very core of Chernobyl. She called her own species as the Sea Cucumber. The fuck? Did she actually want me to believe that cancerous dick is nothing but a bigger sea cucumber?!

I have no time to play around with them so with the magic I finally manages to get access to I used one of the dangerous spells my mistress specifically told me not to use them in an emergency. This is a damned emergency alright. I lost my rifle!

Mind-altering spells are dangerous because they messed with the psyche of the victim as well as the caster. The caster requires a very strong hold of its own sanity and thoughts for once he reaches out with his mind he was susceptible to altercation from an outside source. The brain is what dictates who we are as a creature, both in conscious and subconscious choices. The brain contains emotion, personality, memories, skills and many mores; if someone interrupts the electrical current in the massive neuron highway the whole body will feel the impact. A little mistake can induce amnesia, and that's the minor damage. We have magicians back home who got their mind shattered and end up being nothing but vegetables unable to respond to stimuli. And some have the power to induce madness inside the mind of men, which I personally blame for my deteriorating sanity. How many times do I have to tell that woman to stop using her power on me?

In short, one wrong move and I can become a whole new creature. One second I can be a gun-loving, conservative-thinking patriot, the next I can be a raving, foaming monkey with appetite for blood and faeces.

I simply probe inside their mind, searching for the place they come from. All I saw was fish and sea, deeper probing just made the Sea Anemone delirious and foaming at the mouth before collapsing onto the deck and me nursing my old friend Mr Migraine. That spectacle alone was enough to convince the prisoners to loosen their tongue. Fine by me, it was hard to do any kind of mental manipulation spells, especially when my mind has quite a questionable amount of sanity left.

A Seaweed Girl broke into tears, begging me to stop hurting her friend. She said that she'll tell me everything I need.

She said that they were tipped off by a certain rabbit of a ship holding very precious cargo heading toward their territory and she also said that they would be backed by a powerful ally from Grand Noah, wherever the hell is it. It seems to scares the crewman silly hearing the term. The captain told me that they are part of the country at war at the other side of the continent, which is where we are heading right now. I don't know much about the politics of this land but whoever can control that dragon like that is not someone you wanna mess with.

I smiled inwardly, they have dragons but I am a guy who can blow up the whole mountain if I wanted to. From what I saw earlier on the dragons are not invulnerable against explosion, especially when fired in their mouth. Lightning is basically static electricity and I know damn good way to generate a fuckton of energy, if only I knew how to weaponize it further…

She said that they were hiding underwater near the clumps of island just a few miles away from Natalia Coast. That brings a whole new problem. I need a SCUBA gear to get underwater and I know damn well that my normal gear would be useless underwater, not to mention my fighting skill would diminish very well. But where can I found one? And let's not forget, what happens if they looted treasures that were NOT WATERPROOF? How can they move their shit underwater then?

Turns out, there are small entrances at one of the island's cliff face where they store their precious cargo and rest. At the surface of the island however were several treasure chest neatly 'hidden' to fool any searcher from searching more of the island with decoy treasures. They said that the cargo would be delivered straight to the barracks of Grand Noah itself to equip their army with, hence the reason why the dragon followed them. Their original purpose was to sack the ship and load all the plunder onto said dragon to be flown across the continent. They would be paid handsomely for their trouble.

I asked the girl if the rabbit was white and wore ridiculous top hat and robe. She nodded. I should have known that fucking bitch. Mark my word, when I finally get my hands on her I'll fuck her up so bad that her future granddaughter got pregnant.

Chill? The fuck is that? That woman has all the chances of leaving me the fuck alone yet she did the opposite. She was leading me forward to my doom one way or another, like a relentless moth to a torch wielded by playful campers. All I want to do was to get Hito and get home, yet everything she did serves only to hinder me.

What is her purpose? What is her end goal? Is it to get me as far away from this Luka dude as much as she can? Or she has an ulterior motive? Why would she be trying her best to get me away from Hito? Did she not think I'm worthy? I fought off a damned dragon for fuck sake and before I came to this world I sparred with gods twice her strength! I still lose but I at least fought creatures twice her strength, still think I'm unworthy?

What if, this all never happened? That this is all damned drea- fuck that, I knew my dreams and hell I know that this fucking place is no fucking dream. I can feel pain, dreams can't do that.

She probably used the pirates as a way to distract me by capturing Sophie and stowing her away somewhere. But how long do I have before they ship her away all the way to Grand Noah? This is practically Pornof incident all over again! And worse, I don't know how long do I have before she got shipped away? And how do I get inside?

The Seaweed girl said that they never expected anybody to wound the dragon, let alone kill it. As because every powerful monsters was needed back in Grangold they have absolutely little soldiers to spare, so it will take them some time to make another delivery. Coupled with the fact that the ringleader of this smuggling operation was afraid of Grangold means that it will be some time before they smuggle something out of fear of being discovered of their failure. We already blasted their ships to shit so they would need to steal a new one before they can make another move. I asked her why they would need a ship if they can swim in the sea. The girl said that they cannot carry loot and swim at the same time, it was way too cumbersome especially the distance of their headquarter.

All and all, it should take them at least a month before they can do anything. Minimum 2 weeks if they have backup ship which the girl said they have not. Ships are not easy to be built surprisingly. They can make a whole ship within two months, but the enchantment itself is the one making the time longer. Unlike human ship, Sea Dweller's ship was heavily enchanted to the point of it capable of becoming sentient. She said that it was very unlikely because they need an astronomical amount of semen to feed such ship to life, but rumours said that there are a very small amount of sentient ships sailing the open seas, their crew becoming nothing but livestock as the ship kept on harvesting their semen. They never last long because human male cannot survive underwater and without nutrition, which the ship cannot provide.

Anyway, it means that I still have time to go and save Sophie from her inevitable slavery sentence. All I need to do is to sneak in, grab Sophie and bounce. Easier said than done.

But first, I have to help the quartermaster with the weapons I provided. It seems that many people complained about their guns jamming in the middle of the fight. One of them came up with his AK-47 asking me what the focus is wrong with his gun. Black Jack was the name of the quartermaster and it was his job to ensure that his crew's weapon is in tip-top condition. The African-American sailor carries a long blackjack at his side which earned him his moniker. He asked me why the weapon jams so much.

I inspected the rifles and found nothing wrong. The Chinese may made some cheap plastic shit but at least their AKs are reliable in a pinch. Turns out something went wrong with the multiplication spells. The AK mags were the correct size, but the bullet itself was not. As I removed the ammo one piece at a time varying size of mismatched ammo came loose. Hell, there's one mag that I inspected that contain tiny ass 0.22 calibres only!

A simple resizing spells will do the trick and correct the size of the ammo again, but I need to cast the spell individually at every AK mag on the ship, not only that I have to check every ammunition case on the ship for defects and make sure that we won't be one round short in battle or jammed.

The problem is, I have to examine the whole armoury by myself and examine each ammunition inside the magazine or clip of each weapon. I have to inspect every mag of the AK, MP7, and Lewis guns on the deck, not including the clips of M1 Garands and Lee-Enfield and the belt-fed for the Browning.

Not only that, the fucking ship has a huge chunk taken off the stern of the ship thanks to the dragon. We were floating just fine but we need to repair the sails and the main mast before we can do anything. It will take us a day at least.

Its fine, the Port isn't that far. Just another week and I'll end up there and ready for a fight. Right now all I need to do is to resize all the ammo in our damned supply. It'll take me forever.

See you later journal.


	28. Chapter 24

14xx/7/10

165 days since arrival…

What up y'all.

We are at Port Natalia, me and Latina and the ship.

It took us a whole week to reach the port. We arrived at noon around twelve according to the sun. The sun like the cunt it was hangs high in the sky blasting at our back with its burning death ray. While it wasn't life-threatening the heat was fucking uncomfortable, like damn, how baked can a guy and a centaur get?

The port was pretty bare to be honest, unlike Port Ilias there was only one ship harboured at the pier. The ship was roughly our size except this one has a bell attached at the mast of the ship, softly ringing to the sea wind. Using my binocular I can see that the bell was decorated with motifs of sea-based Monster Girls that were devouring several men.

The prisoner was sent toward the slammer for their crime of piracy. The verdict says that they all will be executed for piracy. I was a bit intrigued on how they can execute a Monster girl as they have the innate ability to teleport back to their home when they were on death door. It seems that they have the ability to negate that trait according to the fear in the pirate's face.

The same snitch that ratted out back at the ship took it the worse; along the journey here she has been targeted by her own pirate crew despite her well-intentional action. I can see that it wears her down along the journey. And hearing the verdict threatens to break her normal forlorn gaze into an all-out sobbing fest. She was scared of death and I can see it in her eyes. She wants out.

Along the journey before I have been making moves on her, using the old heart-and-mind tactics on her. I made friends with her while ignoring the others, dropping hints to her friends unknown to her that she was my favourite, thus fostering jealousy and distrust upon her crewmate. Soon they start attacking the Seaweed Girl, thus increasing her hate and fear against her own crew. I present myself as a sympathetic person who wants to help others but was misunderstood and only she understood what I want to do. The result is the Seaweed Girl being alienated by her crew and looked up to me.

She wasn't that bad to be honest. She was simply a little seaweed who was simply caught at the wrong time at the wrong place when the pirates attacked at the area of her home. She simply lives among the kelps floating at a coastal area just waiting her lives out when suddenly the pirates came and robbed a ship just underneath her. Her home was destroyed during the fight, rendering her homeless. She decided to latch onto the pirate's ship for a few months until they finally took notice. Instead of throwing her away they decided that she has some use left for the ship.

She never wants to be a pirate; she just wants to be left alone in the open seas.

To anybody who wasn't me or her you won't understand the logic of this. Unless the pirates were sent straight to Davy Jone's Locker there's no way she can be left alone without them hunting her down and I have not the resource or the data needed to achieve such mission. To put it simply she was tired of all the action she has for the last 9 month of piracy and she wants out. The Sea Walker's captain and Latina confirmed her desire, saying that it was common for Seaweed Girls to be passive and peaceful.

If all goes according to plan Harrila would be our new companion in our rescue.

I decided to explore the port with Latina to find anything we need. I haven't used my grenades at all and the evening is still young. The port and city was twice bigger than Port Ilias across the sea and its grandeur was evident from its architecture and the evident presence of economic activities throughout the port.

The little town was made mostly from white concrete and almost every window has glass pane attached to it. You may think it was not that important, but the world I am now was a mix between the fantasy Middle Age and the classical romantic Renaissance era. Back then glass was considered as a precious as silver and only the wealthy can have glass pane on their window. Hell, back then the nobles would bring their glass window along when they move house! Glass back then is our equivalent of a branded overpriced handbag, useful for one reason only but was bought primarily for status. To have everybody have glass pane in their house speaks volume of the economy of this port.

The town main square has a single statue of Ilias masterfully crafted from marble atop a ground platform with two street lamps to illuminate the figure. I always wondered why does Ilias have a fondness of baring her chest and ass right out in the open like she was a whore. A proper god would have known some dignity at least.

The statue act as the centre point of the town as well as marker for travellers around. Situated just beside the busy port, the main square was always bustling with life as the locals carry fresh produce toward their roadside stalls and shops. Mermaids and humans of all size and shape travels through the street, having a completely normal life. At this moment I always wondered if I would be happy having a normal life. I mean, I could do less of worrying getting shot every second…

Bah, who am I kidding? I'm Alex motherfucking Armin; I was never destined for normal stuff. I was nothing but a sore thumb in today's society. The only place I belong to was behind a gun and inside a Scarlet Mansion. If I die I would die in a smoking pile of hot brass with a bloody knife in my fist.

I bought me and Latina some dark chocolates from one of the stalls near the square. The original sweet milky chocolate has been bought off its entirety by a young man with a fuck-ton of sons. The shopkeeper said that the young man come to his store with around 30 to 35 boys at his heels and bought off almost every chocolate he has in the store. He said that it would be fine if the war doesn't make trading a lot harder.

Turns out this port is very famous among other ports in the continent. They can afford many strange novelty items because this was the Centerport of the trading route throughout the world. While the effect of war doesn't hit them as hard as Port Ilias did the shopkeeper said that the damned war makes less ship willing to come over to the port as it was near the warring country. The shopkeeper said that they too have been short on supply despite being the Centerport of the trading route.

I decided that a temporary primary weapon would be sufficient for the rescue tomorrow, so I decided to hit the local weapon shop near a local inn. The weapon shop was quite big and abundant in nature. Several different types of swords ranging from a Roman's Gladius to the German's big-ass Zweihander was displayed in a box waiting for a lucky customer to buy one. Beside a table holding helmets there were around 4 armour stands displaying full body armour made from 4 totally different minerals such as iron, steel, gold and something that I swear was emerald copper from an Eastern country. A mermaid was trying on a stereotypical horned Viking helmet and found the weight to be a bother. Shields made from leather, steel and iron were displayed on a table which Latina seems to be interested.

The dealer declared that he has a fine selection of weaponries and damn he wasn't kidding. Their bladed weapon such as swords and knives has an intricate pattern running up their grove. I can sense potent magic from each of the weapons presented. Being more of a gun guy, I decided to ask Latina if there was anything useful.

And turns out the only thing that was useful was the Mage Masher, which is simply a dagger with a blue handle and a cobalt gem pommel. It allegedly can counteract any spell attempt made, which would be a very useful addition in our ever-growing arsenal. I bought one, the damned thing was expensive. My KA-BAR knife is at my left shoulder whiles my pistol at my right thigh, so I placed the sheath of the dagger at my left thigh. Latina bought herself a nice lance for the trip. She lost her old golden spear back during the journey. I don't know how strong my comrade was, but goddamn she carried that lance like it was nothing. That thing weight around 20 pounds or something!

Then we hit the convenience/item store to get more herbs and feathers for our journey. They have a couple of charms that might be useful such as the Mermaid charm that can boost my stats when underwater, but I'm running real short.

The Mermaid Pub became our next destination where we met our delightful captain. He was currently telling an epic tale of his fight against a dragon back in the sea to a small crowd of human and mermaids. I simply went to the table and asked for some cola absent-mindedly. It was a habit of mine to never have a taste of alcohol in my damned life and only drank cola for relaxation. My mistake came late so the girl has time to fulfil my order despite me knowing that Coca Cola was made during the Civil War.

They have Coke. My eyes bulged out as she handed me the fizzy treat. The taste was stronger than an average bottle of Coke, those damned manufacturer watering down a perfectly good recipe. It was Coke; it was fucking Coca Cola goddammit! Coca motherfucking Cola in a fantasy Middle Age timeline!

You know, there is one time in your life you just have to sit down and wonder what are you doing with your life. Sometimes you did it daily, sometimes not at all, but sometimes we really need to take a hard look at ourselves and wonder why are we here.

First off, I am drinking a mug of cold Coca Cola served by potentially horny mermaid in a mermaid-run bar with a horny centaur partner beside me. I bought an overpriced knife that allegedly can counteract magic spells because magic is a thing for a rescue mission where I have to rescue my rifle who happens to be a German woman in her 20s from pirates made from sea creatures.

I ran my fingers upon the wooden bartop, the groove of the wood calloused and scratched from years of use. This is real, this feels real. Dreams cannot simulate touch vividly. I took a long draw from my mug, savouring the taste and smell of the cola I love. This is real; dreams cannot simulate taste or smell.

This is real, I'm feeling it, and this is reality…

I must face it, but how?

I look at my comrade who was nursing a mug of stout. The silver centaur has been a very important member of the crew aside from Sophie. She carries almost all of our shits throughout the journey and she was also our transportation. She sometimes complains, but soldiers gripe all the time so it's normal. She's no soldier, she's just a volunteer for a cause that was not her own, thinking that the cause I have is bigger than her.

I almost laughed at the thought of me in shining armour with a girl in my hand and a sword to my right bringing justice upon some weird ass demons guarding the Holy Grail on Latina's horseback. What cause am I fighting for except escaping this world with Hito at my side? I don't have any grand plan to save the world or something, nor do I have a grand destiny or something. I fought for survival this whole time and I've been fighting for a long time.

Come to think of, what should I do with her once I finished my mission? What happen if I found Hito and Sophie as well as the exit to this world? What would Latina do? Can I even bring her home? What happen if I brought her to my home? Would she remain a centaur or she would split into a woman and horse or worse?

I shook the dark thought from my head. That can wait, I can't ask her now what she wants to do after everything is done, and she might get ideas soon.

And here's an even darker thought; what happen if I made her pregnant?

We fucked like we were animals in heat, ironically considering the fact that Latina is a half-horse herself. Most of the time she used her mouth to collect my ejaculate, sometimes her breast, but once in a blue moon she used her vag onto my battle-hardened meat shaft and milked every drop from my balls. And throughout the journey we never used any form of protection at all. I put it down with Latina's horse-v being different than a human-v, but what about Sophie? I did shag her right through the love tunnel and detonated the C4 inside. She's simply a weapon right? A magical construct made out of a powerful imbuement of a sword and my trusty rifle.

But caption this; when she became human she developed human features. Eyes, nose, lips, breast, leg, the whole lot. But what about her organ? For her to function properly as a human being she must have working, healthy organs inside her, that includes her reproductive organ. What makes her organ different than a normal human girl's organ? And if she can emulate all the bodily aspect of a woman what's stopping her inner organ from working? What's stopping her ovaries from creating more ova ever since she became human?

I can argue that she wasn't a proper human, she can morph between two form which is rifle and human, but the thing is anything that was on her can be morphed along to be a rifle, like if she's holding a pistol and warp into a rifle there would be no changes in shape nor function and better yet she can change back into human with the pistol in hand just like before she morphed! What's stopping the sperms inside her from swimming upstream even when she morphs?

What's stopping her from getting pregnant?

And if she got pregnant, what am I supposed to do with the child?

That question haunts me ever since I made love to her (reluctantly-enthusiastically) and Latina forced her down to accept my water bomb when she was on the top. I was never a father and I'm not ready to be one. And if so, how am I gonna take care of the child?

I need a secure housing with running water and ready access to supply, does it sound like something I have right now? And if I have a child right now, what am I supposed to do with it once I reached the end? What am I supposed to do when it's time for me to go home?

Can I carry a baby through a multidimensional hyper-space-time portal?

Another darker thought came through which I quickly shut down with a mental boot to its metaphorical face. I'm not going for abortion, I made that life. It was bullshit for MY unborn child to face the punishment for MY mistake.

Fuck that; MY child, My responsibility.

I can't help but look at my partner and wondered how she looks like being pregnant. Would her belly expand or her horse belly expands? How does our child would look like? Would he look like his dad? Can I get her to a vet in time? Do we even have animal doctor in this world?

I wondered what they put inside the Coke. I felt a tug to my sleeves at my right and saw a toddler sitting on the counter, being adorable as it was his god given right.

His eyes were the darkest brown just like his father and a few wisp of his hair was light brown, unlike the father's jet-black mane. Is that what my son would look like if Latina was the mother?

Then his hair colour changes to light blonde yet he retained the dark brown eyes of his father. His mouth was wide open in a million kitten smile directed to the world. Blonde hair…Sophie?

Then his hair changes colour again and is his eyes, both of them became deep shade of purple. His face was still smiling wide open but there was certain intelligence in his eyes…just like my mistress.

I frowned. What happen if my child is a girl?

My god she was beautiful. Her blonde hair may look soft as cotton candy, but god fucking Lord Egg Benedict in the ass her eyes are beautiful. Her eyes were akin to polished sapphire stone under the moonlight. She looks like Sophie…

Then she became an adorable otter with a mop of brown hair and brown eyes. Latina? Why the hell she has a horn?

Then her hair become purple, but her eyes became dark brown like his father. Mistress?

I put my hand toward the child's purple hair, which suddenly turns blonde the moment my hand made contact with the soft mane of the child…

And I end up buying a drink for a mermaid.

Make sense? Of course not, I'm rambling again.

I go up and talked to the captain who has his arm around a mermaid's shoulder. I asked him if I can replicate some guns from his ship for my mission tomorrow. He said that it was me who brought them in the first place so I have the right to have some from the stock. He also said that thanks to me and my equipment they manage to survive a fucking attack from a dragon. The captain said that the last time a dragon attacked his boat he and Black Jack both lost a limb and a ship.

Then we decided to run all the way across the beach at the west of the port. The reason was to find a place where I can use the Harpy feather to teleport as near as I can to the pirate's cove, like a shortcut when we decided to start the assault.

It took us a solid two hours on Latina's back to finally see the cluster of islands on the horizon. To my left was the sea and to my right leads toward the main road which splits into two roads. The crossroad has a sign which says where the road leads to. To the north we have Luddite Village, which I have visited in the past. This world is truly small. I wonder what happened to the priest that saved my ass back then.

To the west we got San Ilia Castle, which I hoped wasn't in ruin and to the east we have Port Natalia where we came from. We decided that enough is enough and we used another feather to return back to the port. We hit the prison again to see my Seaweed Girl Harrila has been freed. It seems that she has taken up my offer.

Just as planned. Those motherfucker doesn't seem to realize that their jealousy is what makes their friend here a traitor.

I offered her a gun but she refused, saying that he saw one in action and it scares her silly. Fine by me.

I asked her how I can slip inside the base because as a human they might recognise my ugly mug. Trying to slip in undetected would be hard because there is only one entrance and they were guarded by two powerful mermaids. Harrila said even if I got inside there would be an intricate network of tunnels that I can get lost in without her help. If we got compromised we could get swarmed from every direction without ways to combat them effectively.

And no, doing some retarded disguise attempt is off the limit. This is reality, not some goddamn a Saturday Morning cartoon shit!

I decided that if we're going in, we gonna need some serious hardware for any trouble they might throw at us. While I planned to go in sneeki-breeki I always knew that shit will always hit the fan, hard.

I decided that we should have a silenced weapon each for everybody. While daggers are stealth king, a silent ranged weapon won't hurt.

We don't have enough money to buy a bow however, but we don't need to. Introducing to you, suppressors! Designed to suppress the noise coming from a gun to a manageable level, this thing has been crafted by hand and magic by the one and only Alex Armin! The Gunsmith of Scarlet Devil!

But remember, they only work to suppress noise not to silence them completely. They might not make a loud explosion sound but the loud farting noise can be heard by anybody.

I decided to give Latina the AK. If shit hit the fan she can cover our escape using a hailstorm of 7.62x39mm. I even cloned extra magazine for her. Me being the rifleman at heart decided to take a step back to history and grab an M1 Garand. Accurate, strong, reliable and its large ass round can drop any wannabe pirates on their asses. Let's not forget, I can mount my bayonet on the rifle like what I did with my kar!

Like General Patton said; the greatest battle implement ever devised.

I made two silencers, one for my 1911 and one for Latina's M9. It may not be the prettiest looking thing around, but I made enough suppressors to know my shit.

For safety, I decided to make more bombs.

This is what we carry for the mission:

Me:

1\. M1 Garand.

2\. M1911A1 (suppressed)

3\. 3 frag grenades

4\. 3 flashbang

5\. 3 smoke bomb

6\. Twenty .30-06 Springfield en-bloc clip.

7\. 6 M1911 magazines.

8\. KA-BAR survival knife

9\. Mage Masher

Latina:

1\. AK-47

2\. Berreta M9 (Suppressed)

3\. 3 frag grenades

4\. 3 flashbangs

5\. 3 smoke bombs

6\. 14 AK mags

7\. 6 Berreta M9 mags

8\. Dagger+

9\. Heavy Lance

Harrila

1\. Nothing

2\. More nothing

3\. Look, more emptiness

4\. Empty Corporation

5\. Why did she decline carry weapons?

6\. Not even an accessory, did they confiscate them?

7\. I wonder if she even wears clothes…

After gearing up for the trip I and the crew used another Harpy feather to get to our designated spot. We found a nice hill overlooking said island. We dug a shallow pit behind an overturned tree and covered some spots with some dead leaves and palm leaves. It may not be the best, but it'll do. There we will observe the enemy until midnight.

We were taking turns on the observation, calculating the amount of guards coming and going. If it wasn't for Harrila we might have missed the guards going in and out from a waterfall. Harrila said that the waterfall is thin enough for a human to go through. Good, the noise of the waterfall can muffle our footstep a couple of minutes inside.

Right now we have been observing the bastard for around 4 hour and so. Harrila was nervous; Latina on the other hand was antsy like she got fire ants in her panties. Holy shit that rhymes. She was unaccustomed to the lifestyle of a sniper; which is hiding I a ditch for several hours/days just waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger.

The night has arrived and from what Latina told me the base's number was static. It seems that the enemy was still hiding or in lockdown. This will make the job harder. Fortunately Harrila said that they are diurnal creature just like me. We'll attack at midnight.

We took turn to observe the entrance with the binoculars while the rest slept. Maintaining observation is important, but we need people to be well-rested for the midnight assault.

Now it's night, just three hours away from midnight. Just a few minutes left and it should be my turn. Nighty Night journal, I'll write to you again tomorrow if I'm still alive…


	29. Chapter 25

14xx/7/11

166 days since Arrival…

The mission was a success.

The mission was purely stealth, or should it be if not for one damned motherfucker that caught Sophie trying to get out of her cage. She has no choice but to go loud and blast her face with her Luger.

We approach the island silently using a boat I borrowed from the captain. Harrila was scared and jittery, yet she insists that she takes point. Brave girl.

I felt a very strong sense of irony as we headed toward the island. For some reason, this felt like a waterborne invasion of Normandy back in 1944 except there was no fucking artillery going in to bust our asses as we landed. We manage to land 2 kilometres away from the mouth as not to alert anybody. We then crawled through the vegetation on the island toward the cave.

Anyway, the flow of guard was next to nothing, just save a couple of fools sitting near the waterfall looking really tired as fuck. One got her eyes so fucking red I think she was smoking weed. That makes me wonder; do we have Weed Girl? I don't think so, but it'll be hilarious if we have one.

Using the rock formation surrounding the mouth of the cave we aimed our silenced pistol to the tired guards. Mine hit her between the eyes, her relaxed body jerked slightly before slumping to the sand while his comrade fumbles around as the 9mm round from Latina's gun lodged at her sternum. Latina then silenced that woman with her lance, the lance flew from her hand and through the sky soundlessly before lodging itself right at her heart. She followed suit and disappeared from sight.

The waterfall muffled out the botched silent takedown. The waterfall was inconspicuous, a simple curtain of water that covers the slippery rock face of the cliff and trickled downward into a small stream leading toward the sea. Harrila got in there first to see if it was safe. A few seconds later she reappeared again, smiling. It was go time.

Is this how American soldier felt like back in Vietnam War? I sure do look the part; crawling through the grass and plants and hope that nobody spots us as the night bugs whirred and buzzed around us, an M1 Garand in hand and 1911 at my thigh which happens to be the preferred weapon of the marines back in Vietnam. Is this how the Tunnel Rats felt like as they went inside one of the caves leading into the infamous Vietcong tunnel system alone and blind?

Okay, I admit I wasn't alone, but for all help Harrila can gave me I might as well be fighting them all myself.

Dark, that's how I describe it. The inside of the cave was crudely hewn out and supported by wooden beams. The torches were spread unevenly and most of them were extinguished, putting the place to semi-darkness. Thank god I still have the night-vision goggle from the Tartarus rift.

Then we approaches he main hub. It was big enough to hide a warship in here. Several minecart tracks leads toward several building.

Harrila knew the place like the back of her hand. She knew where to go.

It made the job easier for me though. Latina can observe better from her boat as she stood guard from the coast. Her job is to provide overwatch throughout the duration of the mission. Harrila insist that she can fight despite being unarmed, but I take it with a grain of salt. Well, at least she has me to cover her weed ass throughout the excursion.

The first sign of Sophie came in the form of sudden paralysation. I suddenly stopped, my manna forcibly sucked out of my body and straight toward her body like a wireless charger. I was shocked and scared, but I was happy. I found her and Harrila knew a shortcut for the storage room.

Have you felt the pins-and-needle? That awful sensation of prickling pain that flares up in every movement as you pathetically moved your limb painfully in order to correct your posture? Imagine feeling it all over the body. Not just the legs and arms, but the whole body from head to toes.

Then the whisper came again, this time it was clearer. I usually chalk it down with the usual whispers of madness at the back of my head that often popped up at the most inappropriate moment, but this one is different. I tried moving my limb, instead I felt like I am trying to push a giant boulder. Harrila has no choice but to drag my sorry ass and find an appropriate spot to hide.

I closed my eyes, following the source of magic that was coursing through my vein and flying through the sky. It felt weird, as if I was trying to get out of an awkwardly designed vest. My mind is in static, sharp crackling noise akin to a short-wave radio fills the cranium of my soul.

Then suddenly, the crackling stopped. I can hear heartbeat. I can feel the magic coursing through her like blood through bloodstream. I can't really explain how it felt like, it was magic, and I was telepathically trying to talk to Sophie by riding on the magic current created by Sophie's attempt to siphon my magic supply for her.

It didn't work; I was suddenly jolted from my focus as the connection was cut abruptly.

Then the scream came. It belongs to Sophie.

Knowing that the mission was a bust, I decided to switch back to Miami Mode and rush toward the direction of her scream, blood pumping with both magic and determination. Harrila tags behind me, whimpering along the lines of 'be careful'.

The first girl that came toward us is a mermaid, her silver scales shone under the dim torch's light as I rushed toward the poor girl. She raised her spear above her head to no avail as I blasted her centre mass with two shots. Like always I stomped on her head before running forward, the boot easing her transition to the afterlife.

Turning around a corner, I narrowly dodged a long white tentacle that shoots out to my left and hit the beam that was holding the dirt inside the cave up. She looks like a jellyfish fused with a woman, except the girl was fused underneath the crown and ended from waist up to her head. Another tentacle went for my head, only for Harrila's own tentacle to grab it and restrain said tentacle. I shot her down too and moved on.

As I approach the direction of the scream a single woman emerged from behind a stack of boxes and tried to blast me with some weird magic beam. Too bad I have the Mage Masher. That shit reflected the beam back toward the enemy and knocked her ass off. I put a round between her eyes just to be safe.

A door blocks me from my destination. I simply kicked it open, stumbling a Seaweed girl that happens to have her back facing the door. Two centaur girls (how the fuck a Centaur get in here?) and a Sea Cucumber Girl advances toward me with weapons in hand. I simply shot all of them except the Weed girl at my back that I dispatch with my KA-BAR knife. Just like Miami…

The room holds another door, this time the wooden oak door was enforced by iron plates and a lock. I tried using my rounds onto the lock with a very disappointing result. Feeling really suicidal and pissed, I simply place a grenade at the doorknob, hoping the concussion from the blast to be enough to blast it open. The lock was deformed but held its guard well. The wood on the other hand fared worse with several large chunks taken off from the surface, thinning the defence effectively. I manage to bust the weakened point into a small hole with my rifle stock but the explosion somehow deformed the lock mechanism, jamming it well. I simply used another grenade.

At this moment the hive was awakened and ready for blood, pouring from the tunnel behind me to kill the intruder. Too bad there's only one entrance going into my room and I have a semi-auto. I ordered Harrila to get inside while I hold them off. She took off like a bat out of hell. Latina's AK would do much better here, but the Garand didn't win several wars just by looking pretty.

4 dead pirates and a bruised shoulder (fucking rifle got a kick) a Scylla slithered through my kill-zone holding a giant kite shield. My rounds cannot penetrate through the shield but I still have my bombs. A flashbang flew from my head and blinds the shield-bearer, forcing her to lower the shield for a moment. It simply shows the edge of her mask but an edge is an edge so I took the shot.

The mask was strong, while my rounds manage to chip off a small part of the mask the smaller cracks that emanate from the big tear did not extend beyond a small centimetre. The mask was shaped to mimic the visage of an angry fox and its owner seems to be angry of me destroying the mask. Her eyes shone red and there was a strange red mist emanating from her body. I just drive her berserk.

She dropped her shield and picked something from her back. It took me a millisecond to recognise the chains of the weapon. I manage to jump out of the way as the flail flew through the air and smashed its iron balls onto the ground, taking the door with it. While the door leading toward the storage room was hanging from its hinges thanks to my grenade the flail simply tore it off the hinges and ripped it to shit.

I know that I have no way to survive this encounter without backup so I retreated by blinding her with another flashbang to the face and ran through the destroyed door while the berserker was blinded again.

The alleyway this time was crafted with smoothstone opposed to roughly hewn out from the underground. It was illuminated by series of stone that shone bright affixed to the walls of the alley. It also serves as the brig if the rows of cells carved through the rock and guarded by iron bars can tell. I ignored the pleas of the prisoner as I continued running.

The thumping behind me indicates that my pursuer was hot on my tails, just as I wanted. The woman tries to swing the flail above her head only for the ceiling to bounce off the iron balls of her weapon and hit her head instead as gravity do its work. A single sound is all I need as I skidded to a stop and pumped the rest of the clip into her chest. A flail's power came from the momentum of the ball as the speed was provided by the kinetic energy from user's input via the chain connecting to the ball. As there was no room to actually swing that thing around she has no choice but to abandon the weapon. But I ran away, goading the lil bastard to the cells so that her flail will be not a threat. If she carries it it'll get stuck at the low ceiling, but if she left it behind she has no choice but to face down me bare-handed, and I'm the guy with a gun.

She snarled and dropped the flail. She then stopped and breathed hard. I took the opportunity and fired a few shots only for them to bounce off her body like my rounds was made from rubber bullets. I knew this would be stupid so I throw a grenade at her and took off like a bat out of hell. I didn't even turn around to check is she was still alive or not.

I then slammed my shoulder onto an oncoming door, ready for a fight. Turns out it was the storage room where Sophie was held. She was holding a warhammer that looks like someone just attached spikes at the flat end of a sledgehammer. Harrila was in front of her, holding a small bottle in her leaves like hand.

I remembered how fucked we are right now so I told Harrila to give me the potion thing. She said something along the line of poison dust or something. I don't care, poison is poison so I picked it up and threw it straight at the Scylla that followed me through. It did the trick and she was coughing real hard soon after. It was simply poisonous dust but I covered my nose and mouth with my shirt to be safe. It was drenched in sweat so it was twice as effective. Sophie then walked forward and smashed her hammer onto the Scylla's head, taking her out for good.

I told her to get a better weapon than a hammer, something that can be used in such a confined space such as the caves. I still don't understand why that hoe carries a flail in a goddamn cave however. I told Sophie to find a weapon that was useful in a small space such as the cave. I told Harrila to try and free the prisoner while I cover them.

Turns out she can use her leaf to picklock the locks of the prison bars. I on the other hand was glad that I don't need the sledgehammer. It would take me longer.

Anyway, with the prisoners free I told them to equip themselves and prepare for combat. They obeyed and ran toward the direction I pointed helter-skelter. Most of them were able-bodied men with physique only back-breaking occupation can provide.

I manage to take down several more before I was relieved by a pair of men holding spears and shields. It felt eerily similar to the Cave of Trials back in Ilias Continent to be exact. Sophie then came with the rest of the escapees armed and ready for combat.

At this point the pirates have erected defensive perimeters outside the prison bloc, making sure that we convicts will not escape. With nowhere to go except forward, I decided to revise the team for the assault.

We have around 20 male prisoners, all able-bodied. Probably pirates or sailors stolen to provide semen. Some of them however belong to the Sea Walker. The poor sailors who fell from the ship when the pirates tossed the wooden ark like a ragdoll were brought here. I armed ten of them with kite shields like Sophie has while the rest is armed with pole arms such as spears. I wished that we have more weapons inside the storeroom, but it's a storeroom not an armoury. Spears were found there in a large quantity while shields were not that much. We improvised by breaking open crates and attaching the panels with ropes to their arms. Their sailor skill shines when they tied the knot of each shield they carry. The shield bearers carry assorted tools such as hammer, crowbars and pieces of woods as club.

We then employed basic riot control tactic by having the strongest motherfuckers to be the meat shield while the rest of the fools make sure that they were not fucked by the long dong of pirates. Then when we move through the tunnel we will switch styles from standard police style to Roman turtle formation. I naturally took the lead.

I gave Sophie my M1 Garand and told her to transform into a rifle again. I used her scope to watch the pirates. So far they were on the defensive, perhaps because of me killing so many of them at first? I stared deeper into the scope to see the exit. Many monsters were fighting near the exit, blasting away with magic missiles and such to the enemy outside. I saw some of them disappeared as they were struck by Latina's bullet. I cannot hear anything from where I was, but I do know that Latina is kicking ass with her AK.

That was good. It means that the pirates will have to fight on two fronts which would greatly hinder their performance. I checked through the scope to see if there was any reinforcement or not. Harrila said that the pirate crew was freelance and they were paid by Grand Noah to terrorize the water of Ilia. Considering the fact that they lost their dragon back during our skirmish at sea it would be highly unlikely for them to ask for reinforcement. It would be logical for them to assume that they have the manpower to repeal any ambush from the outside considering the fact Latina was only a single Centaur with a gun.

The pirates were sleeping when the attack happened, so many of them would run straight toward the armoury to arm themselves. It'll give us some time before they properly regrouped. I also cannot underestimate these pirates. Monster Girls have many appendages on them that can be used as a weapon.

Thanks to Sophie's scope; I saw two points that was relatively lightly guarded. We will strike through that area and escape.

I decided that I need all the edge I can have, so I decided to do an experiment. Knowing that semen has an innate magical potency only Monster Girls can detect and use, I thought that by feeding her semen would help increase her strength in a fair margin. I ordered the sailors to masturbate into a bowl so that Sophie can drink it all. I hoped that it will give her an edge.

A couple of minutes later, a bowlful of semen were ready. I also added my own semen in the mix. She swallowed the thick solution without hesitation. The effect was at first undetected, turns out it worked when Sophie became a rifle again.

The rifle was enveloped in a cool, white mist. I felt a slight thrumming of energy coming from the rifle as I peered through her scope. The scope's penetration power was magnified, letting me see what was on the outside.

It wasn't good. I saw Latina was engaging another centaur with her spear. Her rifle was thrown at the sand nearby. I don't know why though, her AK was the Chinese one that has a fixed folding bayonet. She has run out of ammunition and was forced to face the bastard in a hand-to-hand combat. The centaur she was fighting was a head taller than her and the centaur was dealing some good damage on Latina. I have to reach her in time before she got fucked.

I changed my ammo type to buckshot. Buckshot works wonder in enclosed area such as this cave. Knowing that everybody was ready for combat I led the charge, screaming like a barbarian.

There's a small yet significant detail I left out in this account: Sound. Gunshot was extremely loud; it was loud enough to actually make you go deaf if you didn't wear ear protection. Thankfully, I have integrated a simple headphone in my hood, so whenever I need to start shooting I just pull the hood up and I'll not be deafened by my own gunshot.

The cave system amplified my gunshot noise, making it twice as loud. My rifle decibel can be around 150 decibel, enough to cause immediate damage on the user's eardrum. As the gunshot noise bounced off the wall and echoed through the hall thus ramping up the noise dramatically. My sailor friend ends up lagging behind me as they tried to stay as far away as they can from my booming gunshot. Hell, the shotgun mod actually made the sound louder than my normal rifle sound.

It was DEVASTATING against the pirates. Their ears are more sensitive than normal, allowing them to notice a single misplace footstep. That trait proves to be their downfall as the booming thunder of my rifle ruptured their eardrums. Hell, even though the headphone I can feel the vibration of the gunshot. It was that powerful. Many of them fell without firing a shot, too busy clutching their bleeding ears as my rifle pumped out lightning strikes from the muzzle.

I finally realised that I was charging alone when I ran straight outside and I hear no hurrah from my back. I then finally saw the bastard that was trying her best to kill Latina properly. Latina doesn't like the idea of being dead; hence her hopping around like a maniac and parrying the centaur's thrust with her spear.

The centaur was a blonde centaur, the one I always saw back in the Ilias continent. This one however was bigger than the other centaur back home, towering over her like a juggernaut with her ridiculously large breast. She wore a pair of really tight iron bra with spikes at the nipples. She covers herself with a large black coat in the style of a bastardized naval officer cloak. At her back was slung half-sized cannon which I believe would fuck shit up all the way to Sunday. She wore a really big pirate helmet with a skull adorning the cap's brim. In her hand was a long trident which gleams in the moonlight.

I raised my rifle and fired a shot at that bitch. I was surprised when the behemoth literally fell on her ass as the buckshot round dug into her skin. Maybe next time she'll invest on better armour. I she turned around and creates a concentrated blast of water. I did not dodge the attack, forcing me to fell on my collective ass and having Sophie flew from my arm again. Latina took the opportunity to stab that bitch again.

The bitch was strong, so she bitch-slapped Latina away and prepares her trident for the coup de grace when she was interrupted by a few more stinging wounds at her back. She turned around to see me holding an empty pistol with a stupid grin. Her face of anger turns to pain as Latina picked her spear again and skewers her just at her spine from the back. With a victorious roar she raised the pirate captain with great difficulty over her head to signify her prowess before dropping the large bastard down to the ground. The pirate captain tries to flee, but she was soon silenced by a hoof to her skull. Strangely, she didn't disappear like the other monster I fought.

It doesn't matter, we won.

The sailors emerged from the cave a few minutes after. They roared with joy as they were finally freed from the prison. As because I was the one leading the charge all they have to do is to follow my gunshot noise all the way to the finish line. I basically did all their work.

One of them has a bagful of Harpy feathers for everybody to use. I gave everybody the coordinates to the port. Soon, the beach was alight with the illumination from the consecutive teleportation done at the beach. We made it. Nobody got hurt, nobody surprisingly teleported into each other, which is a great relief.

The captain of the Sea Walker was ecstatic on seeing that his missing crew was alive and well thanks to me. That same night he decided to treat me to the nearest pub and drink ourselves silly to celebrate. I never drank alcohol and I wished to remain as that, so I decided to discretely swap out my beer with the cola I ordered from the mermaid pub when everybody was too busy partying. Despite having some Monster Girls in here no orgy ever broke out. I gotta admit, I was surprised by that. I expected some hookers at least.

The party was in my honour courtesy of the captain. I never told you his name right? He prefers to not be named at all. He said that he has some settle to score and he doesn't want anybody to know his name.

The captain said that if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be alive at the dragon encounter back at the sea, let alone recover his lost sailors. There were a few human pirates among the rescued one, but they decided to switch captain and have the captain as their captain. Not only I have saved the life of many of his own men, I have made his ship potentially one of the most powerful ships to sail the seven seas. He said that he regretted that he didn't meet me earlier before, probably could've saved his leg. Anyhow, it means that I have a new ally if I need backup. Ally is good; in a world where everything can kill you it is good to have someone watching your back.

Well, Latina said that she wants to party more, but I saw her eyeing those sailors with their thick mast and bulging muscle. I admit, some has muscles that make me feel a little bit jealous. But hey, I'm not the guy who was easy to feel jealousy. I knew that she was a grown up Centaur so I just left her there to enjoy the party. I bet you I won't find her until tomorrow morning.

Sophie on the other hand stays at my back. Even though back at the cave I allow her to drink the sailor's semen I felt something chewing fiercely inside me as I contemplated on the idea of leaving her behind with those men. I felt like I was leaving behind a precious china doll in a room with 6 other poor criminal. I know that she needs semen but goddamn I felt really bad leaving her behind.

Unlike Latina, Sophie is my rifle. She is mine, and mine alone. She has saved me before she became a woman and I have taken care of her ever since I bought her back in Texas. Her power can only be accessed by me, and I only I she obeys the command. It makes me more possessive than normal of her. I was usually possessive of my weapons, but this one is different. I felt like I'm gonna lose her if I left her behind again.

I remembered the story of the Weapon girl race. They were hailed as perfect wives and the husband never cheats on their wife even if there was another girl more attractive than his wife. Could this be the reason? This possessive feelings I have over Sophie, was this feeling every Weapon Girl master felt like?

It also the fact that I almost thought that we were married or something.

Heh, so be it. If I was married to her I wouldn't mind. She has no choice but to obey me and I already has some strong feelings for her. My original mistress? I already made my peace with her. We knew that we will never account to anything beyond friends. Hell, she said that she'll be happy for me if I found the perfect wife for me.

Come to think of, I think I did. Mrs Armin, not a bad name.


	30. Chapter 26(1)

14xx/7/12

167 days since arrival…

What up?

We are at San Ilia, waiting for the next day. I would've go out earlier, but my dick hurts right now, like ouch, is there an alternative to soothe dick pain other than Ilias Herbs?

San Ilia was a beautiful city, the white marble buildings of the city shone under the morning sun. The city was luxurious, not a single wooden house in sight. Everything here was made out of fine marble. If it wasn't for my guide's presence as well as the iron-clad guards that roam the city I would assume that I was back in modern day Venice. The city was surrounded by high stone walls. I wondered why. Then I got in and got the surprise of my life.

It was literally a city of water and land. Gallons after gallons of clear water pools behind the walls as the river system recycles the water around the city via a very comprehensive network of waterways and canals between the marble roads and squares. At the horizon was an imposing castle that floats on top of a large waterfall. Like a multi-storied water fountain, the waterfall was the starting point of the rivers where they flowed downward toward the walls and into a series of pipes near the walls.

Looking deeper into the river system, the canals that runs through the city looks like another alternative roads that was just flooded with 3 feet deep water. The little statues that stood at each intersection also reinforce the water road aesthetic. If I design cities where both human and sea creatures can visit each other with ease, I think I would've designed the same thing too.

Hearing the reputation of this city as a pious and blessed city I was actually hesitant on having Latina with me. I can tell everybody that Sophie was a weird-looking staff given to me by my father, but what about a 7 foot tall horse with a woman's body attached to the part where the horse's head was supposed to be?

My fear was alleviated once I saw a small family of a human dude with a girl that was fused with a crocodile walked toward the front gate with a smile. The guards smiled back at them and let them in. I hoped that they do the same and walked in as well. My luck held and we get into the holy city without problem.

My first work was to find an inn to stay for the day. And maybe buy myself a new map. Mine's was soaked to shit back during the fight back at the pirate's cove. This journal however survives the watery onslaught. Goddamn, what magic that priest cast on this book to keep it dry and usable all the time?

The people around me while a religious bunch they were pretty liberal on their belief. I saw a pretty general pattern of belief on the demographic. The older resident would lean forward to Ilias while the younger demographic would party with Lady Sylph anytime and anywhere. Knowing the liberal policy of Lady Sylph's I believe that I have some thanks to give to that woman.

I also learned from one of the passer-by that there were two views that were seen regarding Makina. The first one says that it was something new that can be used to improve the life of society as a whole. The other however was raging anti-Makina sects that denounce the new item as a tool of destruction that should've been left behind. The anti-Makina sect has several points that back their claim.

First: the circumstances of the weapon and item. The Makinas was found at the Tartarus area, the area that was destroyed during the fight between Monsters and Angels and was corrupted by an outside influence. As many of the inhabitant inside there was of horrors that were unimaginable the line of thought leads to many to think that the item found inside there would be as cursed as the guardian itself. An item that was found in a cursed and dead rift guarded by H.P Lovecraft creation would means that the item might be cursed too.

Second: the holy pope/king was a supporter of Makina and he was bombed to shit beforehand in his carriage. He manages to escape unscathed despite the bomb to be planted right underneath his seat. As many of them claimed that the bomb is Makina in origin, the anti-Makina sect believes that the weapon was of dark magic, hence why it targeted the pope only. They also said the goddess's blessing was the reason why the pope was still alive, hence marking the idea that the item was cursed and should not be on anybody's hand.

Third: the influence of Ilias was getting weaker every decade which sent the priest and monks across the world in frenzy. The weakening started when the war ended, where both Angels and Monsters were stranded on Earth or rather, when Ilias has stopped appearing into the baptisement of new heroes. The Makina also starts to appear when Ilias has disappeared. Many drew conclusion that the Makina was one of the factor why she disappeared, other than the waning faith they have in their goddess.

This is the reason I manages to glean from what I heard from the citizens and guards that roams the city. The Luddite (maybe the same one I end up before?) decided to left the city and establish themselves a village just a few miles away from us. I believe I have passed them when I make my way toward the city. Perhaps I may take another look in there to see if there were any more clues about Hito in there. I hope it was the same village I end up at.

I first hit the item shop first. I gotta admit, there were more items inside the damned shop. The shopkeeper said that the holy water was highly sought-out in this area. I remember one scam where so-called holy people and teachers would sell sacred water that can heal so many life-threatening diseases and strengthen the drinker's strength and shit. It was widespread when I was a child, but goddamn even as a child I saw how much bullshittery it was. I mean, if a simple mineral water with some holy incantation can heal cancer, then why the hell we have doctor's degree anyway? Second, why mineral water? So many of the so-called teachers I have said that so many research says that when the chanting was done the molecule of the water became even better. I laughed my ass off for hours. Hell, if a simple passage from a holy book can purify water to a molecular level then what happens if I chanted some passage into a bottle of Jack Daniels? Will the chanting purify the alcohol to the point that it's no longer intoxicating?

Ach, its Ilia, anything can happen. I have a guide that was a hot Centaur for fuck sake.

It says it can purify anything that has a dark energy in it. Why doesn't he sell some goddamn garlic and cross to pair it with? Or do they sell it separately? It even says that it can cure the zombie plague from my body once I got cursed by a necromancer. Okay, what the fuck. How the hell can water bring back the dead? If I was brought back by a necromancer as a zombie it means that I'm already dead and the darkness would be purged from my corpse, hence killing me again! Hell, that's the whole fucking point of the term necromancer! The person who brings back the dead! How the hell can a holy water bring me back to life once I became a zombie?

They also sell some Lucky Mallets. It was a wooden mallet the size of my thumb with the handle of the hammer tied by a cute little red button. It looks cute enough for me to buy one. The real reason that thing was sold was to help me grow back if I end up shrinking Alice-In-Wonderland style. If I am lucky I can bring this back home with me. I'm sure the boss's little sister would love a new weapon for General Sweet Dreams (I told her that a tough, mean general must have a tough name too. I found out that having a tough guy named Fluffy Pants was both endearing and funny. We end up compromising for both cutesy and threatening)

I bought the usual (Harpy feather, Ilias Herbs,) alongside three small bottles of holy water and Holy Mallets. It was cheap. Plus, I bought it one for each of us.

Next stop is the item and armour shop. I would usually hit the weapon shop first, but the armour shop is closer.

The shop was clean and sophisticated. It has that aura of walking into a store where James Bond bought all of his suit. There were 4 armour stands that display different type of uniform. Some strange metal armour that shines like thousands of diamonds inlaid a metal sheet covered by glass pane, a simple robe that was designed to be worn on the fly and a really good looking blue and white furry robe. Beside the stands was a simple cupboard that held smaller accessories for the armours. There was also a table with larger accessories and defensive equipment displayed handsomely. Kite shields with scarlet painting adorning the surface. Iron helmets that stares back at me calculatingly from its lifeless slits. Small parrying shield made from silver and engraved with the symbols of Ilias. Small circular golden shield that shone underneath my gaze.

The fair lady behind the counter and her grandmother greeted us politely. She said that she was the official supplier for high-quality armour for the knights of San Ilia. Looking though her wares I saw nothing that I need. Brigandine was basically my bulletproof vest but medieval-style. It was unfortunately heavier than my specially made armour/hoodie so no thank you. Heavy holy iron armour is useless for me and the white robe that was literally glowing like a fucking firefly would make me a moving target for up to 500 miles tops. An iron mask that was heavy and suffocating? A fucking full-face helmet would be better. If you gonna carry all that extra weight at least made it worth the weight! A shield would be nice and all, but Latina opted for the AK I gave her yesterday. Thank to our stint back at the ship on our journey she knew how to make bullets for her gun.

Nothing spells badass more than riding to battle gun's blazing riding on a Centaur armed with an automatic rifle.

The granny sells books. She said it was magical tomes that can increase my elemental power correspondent toward the type the book was made for. For example, water tome can increase my water magic power, but cannot increase my fire magic skill. I bought a recovery tome though. I wonder if there would be tips about emergency medical aid for every new disease I might get in here.

Our next stop is obviously the weapon shop. If this was the capital there should be at least one gun in here.

There was a wider selection of weaponries I can get here. There were three long stone tables where weapons were displayed for sale in its full glory. Bows were made out of oak wood that was inlaid with gold as well as the string that shines like silver underneath the morning sun. Large, imposing black war hammer hammers its way into my imagination as I heard an imaginary thumping in my head. Arrows with razor sharp arrowhead and smooth, silky feathers align themselves beside the bows, a comrade in arms indeed. Two rows of small throwing knives glistens menacingly in promise of their deadliness. Strangely, there was a black whip with the ends of the rope tipped with sharp arrowheads laid beside all the weapon. I admit, holding the whip give me the urge to crack it in the sky while yelling at the blacks to pick the cotton faster.

I asked the dude behind the counter of they have a Makina or something. He smiled and pulled out a perfect imitation of a Colt Single Action Army Revolver. The only difference between the guns is that at the spot where the symbol of the Colt was laid held the logo of a crown with two swords crossed over it. The guy said that this gun was unearthed by the church heavens know where and they somehow found a way to replicate it to the minute detail. Hell, even the ammo was duplicated perfectly. It was a good thing that gun used a . Flat point or hollow, bullets are bullets.

I went to the boxes where they stored their sword. The boxes were filled with straight swords of a simple design. I picked one out of many swords in the pile. For a standard issue sword I dare say that it was of a really good design. The blade has a nice balance between the blade and the handle. The edge was sharp and the blade was like a mirror. I took a test swing and find a simple rhythm in the swing. I have a friend who was an expert sword artist who taught me some basic sword skills from time to time. I was more of a gun guy and my job at the mansion made it quite encumbered to train with a sword. But as a weapon guy I admit this is a good weapon.

The assistant was a guy with a green hair and a scar running over his lip. He was young, perhaps 18 years old? Even then he has that mature and responsible soul in his eyes. He asked me if I like the weapon. I was tempted, but like always, where would I put my sword?

We chatted about weapons and stuff. He was surprised that there was another kind of gun beside the revolver. He and his boss thought that there was only one type of gun for it. The assistant said that there was a haunted manor at the north of the city. He said that his friends went there but returned a few days afterward broken and scared. They refused to say anything about their adventure. He said that there must be a really powerful being that could've spooked them that much.

I was surprised and a little bit worried when I heard the word mansion. My home was a mansion and my adopted family was in there. The White Rabbit has already shown that she could bring anything from my world to this world as well; hence the reason why mistress's Luger was at Sophie's hip. What's stopping her from teleporting my home to here as well as its inhabitant?

The assistant said that the mansion was likely haunted as he heard snippets from his friend about spectres that sword cannot cleave. He said that if that was the case a magical weapon would be very effective against the supernatural. He also said that the shop sold some magical weapon as well if I wanted to tackle the mansion.

The Mage Masher has served me well and I have no excuse to throw it away. Second, Sophie is already magical enough as she is to tackle any ghostly problem that we might face. Latina on the other hand has the spear she took from the pirate captain back at the shore. It has a strange dark aura that encompasses the spearhead. She said it was a spear imbued with darkness.

I only bought myself a good amount of handgun bullets. Next stop: blacksmith.

The shop was flushed with armours and weapons of different type. Mostly swords and full body armour though. Hell, there are even three 4-foot tall statues of Ilias beside two boxes of iron blade without their handles.

The blacksmith was a guy in a priest outfit with a short brown mutton chops beard and a pair of sharp blue eyes. He said that he was a sanctified blacksmith which means that he can make some holy shits.

They have Mithrils. You know Mithrils? It was originally a metal ore found in J.R.R Tolkien's story. Thanks to Lord of the Rings, almost every fucking games made in the medieval fantasy world will have some form of Mithril at least. I wasted no time and feasted my eyes upon the silvery bar.

Mithril was beautiful, it has the appearance of highly polished silver, yet looking deep inside I can see several lines that crisscrossed the surface in a symmetrical style. From what I gather from my voracious devouring of the LOTR series and good old Gandalf it was something akin to silvered metal.

Having some spare coins in my pocket I asked the guy if he can make a bayonet for Latina's AK (the last one was snapped from the muzzle back at the cave). I drew the schematics for him and leave him behind for him to make his magic thing. I decided to hit the castle and see-


	31. Chapter 26(2)

-Sorry, ran out of ink. Say, where are we? Ah, the castle. I decided to hit the castle too as I heard that they offer advice for anybody who wants to listen to them and have one hell of a library. Let's hope they have a book on semen full usage. It would be faster to know the basics than doing random experiments. The one at the cave was an educated guess to be fair. For the logics that follow through the act I can't help but know that so many shits can go wrong.

Walking toward the large castle, I was impressed by the design of the city. The city was separated by two levels of plane existence; the high ground and the low ground. The high ground is where the humans made their settlement. It was built 6 feet above the low ground via artificial concrete landscaping and manages to connect with other artificial high ground via bridges that still allows anybody to pass through if they wants to use the low ground. The low ground was flooded with water. If you want to travel the whole place via boat, you can. If they removed the waterfall they could make a tourist attraction just by having a dude with a boat give an offer to give the tour of the city Venice-style.

With boats, the people of this city can move everywhere and evacuate away from danger if the main route was taken by enemy. Like the sewer system used by the French resistance in World War two, they can use it to evade capture and escape if they were smart enough. Plus, the gallons of water behind the walls act as a weapon against invaders. If they try to breach the walls they will be swept away by a tidal wave of the whole city's water system dumping on them at high speed.

Of course, this defence system would be all for shit if the enemy used water magic.

I gotta admit a combination between a cathedral and a castle was pretty as fuck. I expected the place to be dark but it was really bright. You know the best part is? They used light bulbs. Motherfucking light bulbs. I admit, having the ability to harness electrical energy would gave a boost to their technological strength but aside from what I saw in the past this place was still in the medieval ages. Walking into this city made me felt like I just jumped from the Dark Ages to the Renaissance with one step. Having gotten kicked in the ass by medieval shit all the time I was happy that I moved up in the technological ante. It was hard to create everything by hand and by scratch.

Latina asked me if she and I can see if the soldiers here any good. I would decline it, but an officer nearby us overheard us and said that the barracks are open to visitors. He also said that if I want to pray then I can just walk straight ahead and hit the main praying cathedral. You already know my choice.

I found a room that seems to be the grooming room or something. I chatted with the officers in there. For officers they were a bunch of chill dudes. They said that officers like them while must be powerful in combat they also have to appear fucking dashing as hell, hence the reason why they have this room.

They also spoke of the manor that was nearby the city. They have sent some of their troopers in there to check out the rumours of the haunted castle. Most of them never return, so instead of sending in priest they sent in soldiers. Now that's how investigating haunted house done right. If the normal police patrol cannot handle a ghost or two, then what about the whole fucking infantry?

They also let me get into the barracks. The officer said that he got some words from his buddy at Iliasville temple and said that soldiers like me are free to get in. I decided to investigate further the barracks. Heavens know why they let civilians get anywhere near the barracks. Back in where I was trained a single civilian inside a barrack without an officer means security breach.

I hit the indoor armoury first. It was pretty rough to be fair, the ground was harsh and cracked and littered with some leathers and bits and pieces of wood. To the left of the entrance laid a whole battalion worth of armours displayed on their own respective stands. Behind them just a little bit to the right hung the weapons of war on the walls, just ready to be taken and used. True to the weapon shop back at the city, the sword was identical to the one hung on the wall.

Everybody here is gung-ho for war. One guy wanted to fight because his best friend died at the frontline. I remember feeling that rage in the past. I just told him to fight and hope that you never regret your decision. One guy was wailing on a long thick oak trunk with his fist, screaming about the tyranny of Grangold. Having nothing better to do, I gave him a couple good tips on hand-to-hand combat. Mostly how to fight dirty. The guy was horrified that I'll suggest that he'll use such an underhanded tactic to fight an enemy. I told him that he'll be horrified to know that all that chivalry bullshit died the moment he stepped on the battlefield.

I also saw a nun who was watching over the men. Knowing that this army was under a pious government ship I deducted that there should be at least a priest or something. Well, she's here to ogle on the sweaty, muscled men in the armoury. Bitches be thirsty.

I don't want to intrude more so I let them be.

I then hit the main cathedral. In the middle of the hall was a group of civilians huddling together praying to Ilias. Looking even deeper I saw that they were bowing toward a pair of priest behind a clean table. The priest was busy praying to notice me. My faith was non-existent, so I just left them be. What caught my eyes however was the glass window. The stained glass windows depict a man in blue robe and green hair. For some reason that guy looks a little bit like Hito. On the other hand, there was also a painting of a blonde woman covered in a generic angel white dress with a pair of white feather wings and halo over her head. There's also a picture of a guy who wore a full suit of armour and was protected by a red robe and holding a sword.

One of the nuns approaches me and asked why I am not praying to Ilias. I simply told her that I am not a believer, but more of a guy searching for someone. The nun smiled at me and told me that I should have a chat with the king as he is the head pope of this city. He was the holiest of holy saints in this whole fucking place if her totally not cultist level of admiring she was showing at that time when she spoke of the pope. She told me that the pope can tell me what I need to hear, and she blessed us.

Heh, may Ilias watch over a dumbass like me.

I met the pope later on. Not only he was the pope, he was the king of San Ilia. Introducing to you, a freaking 60 something year old man who was both a pope and a king. Peter the 14th, head pope of San Ilia cathedral and king of San Ilia. Motherfucker was a cool guy. Chill, quiet and understanding. He was really chill; he wasn't raving around or trying to tell me to have faith in Ilias in a barely concealed condescending advice. He was chill and down-to-earth, something I barely found in most religious leaders I met in the past.

He's also not naïve and blind. We hit right off from the bat. So many things we agreed on and I knew that I and he would be good friends. He like I am believes that technological and cultural advancement is what makes the human race civilized and powerful but it was religion who kept us sane and happy throughout the campaign. Opium of the masses so to speak. He said that in order for religion to keep up with the changing world it must be flexible enough to fit almost every problem and situation in the future yet retains its basic roots as not to destroy it from inside out.

We also chatted about the world. He said that the cave leading toward Port Marle was blocked so I cannot get to the other side. It was for the best, for that is where Grangold is. The war was getting fiercer in the frontline. So many of their troopers at the frontline was fucked and they have so little left behind to protect their home. Let's not forget, they have internal problem with the Church and the Anti-Makina sector on the rise ready to go on a riot at any moment. The problem was resolved when most of the fanatics decided to walk away and live in a primitive hovel somewhere far away.

I told him that I once got there and nearly got myself killed (it was the opposite) at the village he mentioned. He said that I better not hit the place again. He said that something bad will happen if I kept coming to that place. Fine, I'll go and hit up the mansion instead. See if that place was my mistress's house to begin with. He gave me lots of tips about fighting against the undead.

Holy and fire work like wonders on them. They heal with dark magic and hurt by holy and healing magic. I ask the pope if holy water can kill them. He said that it can, but it would be efficient to carry a holy-imbued weapon instead. On the contrary, if I have run out of ammo, splashing some water would do the trick. I asked him if I can just pour holy water on my knife and use it like that. He said that I can do that, but I gotta soak it again and again after the holy water dries off. I asked him if I can sprinkle some water on them. He says that if I do that I can ward them off, but they'll come back later. My only hope of fighting them would be a holy weapon.

Thank god I have Sophie as my rifle.

Anyway, I told him of the spy I met at Luddite Village. He simply nodded and said that he was doing a great job over there. I told him he needs better acting skills. The pope said that they were too blind to see through anything at all for their misguided blind faith blinds them from the truth. He simply said let them be whoever they want; they'll end up dead after a few years later if they don't come back. The casual way he spoke of it gave signals at me which I filed away for potential problem future me to face on.

I asked him of the library underneath the castle. He said that the first level is accessible for anybody. But the second level is filled with monsters and such. He forbade me from going in there. He said that the monsters reside in books and they are very powerful. He also said that he would rather have the books down there intact, which would be very hard to do if fights broke out down there often.

Anyway, before I bade farewell to the nice pope I gave his bodyguard an Ilias Herb. He was coughing like hell throughout the conversation me and pope have. He declined, saying that he's well enough to work and Ilias will cure him later on. Judging from his coughing Ilias was doing a hell of a job.

And the pope himself need his pocket watch fixed. The damned thing clicked like hell half the time. I don't care if that thing is vintage royal equipment, he need to find a clockmaker for that shit.

Anyway, I decided to hit the library and see what I can find. The library looks like the one back home, rows after rows of bookshelves that reach the ceiling arranged symmetrically with a space in the middle for the staircase coming down which was guarded by a soldier armed with a spear. He told me that nobody was allowed to go down there. I asked him if I can borrow some books in this current area. He nodded and told me to ask the scholars around for help.

I decided to spend a few hours at the library to learn more about the wonderful power of semen. I learned a couple of tricks in there.

1\. Fresh semen acts as a beacon toward MGs. Useful if you want to attract more enemies to you.

2\. Semen was usually absorbed through the vagina for breeding purpose, yet because the innate magical trait the semen has toward the MGs the monsters can use it to both heal and increase their desired traits.

3\. Semen has a strong aura that can be intoxicating for lesser level Monsters. It is possible to defeat a low level monster by overwhelming them with intense amount of semen, which in layman's term is by raping them senseless. This is highly discouraged as it was really easy for the hero to get overwhelmed by the MGs sexual technique instead before he could overwhelm them instead.

4\. Semen was highly coveted by MGs. It was used as a currency when bartering with MGs if a merchant possessed no gold. For this reason, many merchant packed bottles of ejaculate if they wished to make contact with MGs. Their gold equivalent would be around 750 gold coins for a litre of semen.

5\. Semen can be used as a meal for the MGs if one has a sufficient supply of it. It was proven true scientifically as studies shown that a teaspoonful worth of semen has a good supply of nutrients needed for a healthy lifestyle. It was discouraged as the amount needed to feed child-sized MGs alone would've been detrimental toward the donor's health.

6\. Semen played an important role throughout history, from creating birth line from an MG with a human to creating powerful weapons and artefact.

7\. Semen wasn't enjoyed by MGs alone, Angels and goddess actually have a voracious appetite for semen which was reflected in the early practice of ritualised human offering. Unlike the previous that kills the offering, the human sacrifice would be raped by the angels for his semen.

8\. Semen has no effect on human female. All myths and instances that say that a female can get high from semen were debunked long ago by thorough studying conducted by Iliasport University. Brainwashing and mind torture proves to be the only way which a human female can develop a craving for human semen. This practice destroys the psyche of the woman, thus rendering all of her stored knowledge null and void until mind recovery therapy which is very hard to do and was very expensive .For this reason, anybody who was guilty of breaking the mind of a woman would be sentenced to death.

9\. Mind break was the state where the mind of an individual has reached the stressing point where he or she has no choice but to shut down on its own to protect the mind from any more harm. This state can occur when the mind of an individual was weakened to the point that he or she felt a true sense of despair no other can feel. This will allow the perpetrator to inflict more damage to the fragile mind, hence affecting their psychology even worse. When the mind can no longer held the mental abuse it will switch to automatic and suppress neither any emotion nor thoughts left in effort to reduce the emotional damage received, hence making the victim willing to participate to anything the perpetrator ordered them to. Rape and torture was always used as a method to mind breaks someone.

That was the main points which I learned from the books I found in the library. I recorded the name of the book if anybody was interested in reading any of them.

1\. Aldi's Basic in Sexual Reproduction system by Professor Aldi Archibald

2\. Semen 101 by Professor Howard Junior

3\. A gentleman's guide to a man's genital By Robert E.O Speedster

4\. Mind Break! The insight of a tormentor and his effect on his victim by Diego Mojima.

Anyway, we returned to the blacksmith to find him already finished with the simple bayonet for Latina. He said that it was simple to make comparing to his usual build he was asked to. I paid him afterward and returned to our inn to make more semen bomb. I decided to make a holy semen bomb by mixing some holy water with semen in a bottle. It can be useful against the ghost if I met one.

And that's allI have for today. I can't go today because my dick and my body still hurt from the aggressive sex me, Sophie and Latina have earlier on. The sun's already has set and I did not fancy running around in the middle of the night, especially when my destination is a haunted house. I'll hit the house tomorrow. Good night journal.


	32. Chapter 27

14xx/7/13

168 days ever since arrival…

What is bravery?

Bravery is when you are scared shitless yet you fight on against those fears. A brave man fights when he knew he can make a difference. A suicidal man fights when he has no chance of winning. A smart man runs away when he knew the benefit of cowardice exceed the reward of bravery. A coward would run away when he can make a difference yet he was too afraid to do so.

A desperate man fights with all he got when his back was against the wall.

I fancy myself as a brave man. What man has faced death and punched it right in its ugly jaw? What man has managed to survive almost everything that was thrown in his path? I have fought against uncountable odds just to save an innocent child back in Pornof Mountains. I took down a dragon in the middle of the sea in a middle of a pirate invasion. I fought my way to hell and back at the dark rifts to see if my friend was there. To call me a coward would be a lie.

But a brave man can still feel fear.

Why do I feel fear? Why do I feel this oppressive aura at the back of my head as I wrote this journal? Why do I feel this hopeless sensation when I walked down the path leading toward the mansion? Why does instead of relief, I felt dread?

Perhaps the haunted mansion was at fault here, one of its inhabitants might have picked a ride at my back at this moment. Perhaps it was all that trip down the depths of black hell that I for some reason manages to survive the scuffle with its inhabitant. I do remember the dark, oppressive sensation as I descended into the abyss. Could it be that White Rabbit whore's doing? She knows more than she should have, but she never explained anything.

So many things don't add up. Who is exactly that woman? What have she done to my friend? Where is he? When the Chapter Two she talks about is will occur? What more unpleasant surprise I must fight through? What am I supposed to do if that times come and I'm not at the right place? Would she zap me like she did back at the Mountains?

I have so many unanswered questions and commitment in this world. The main course was to find Hito of course, but what happens when I find him? I already knew that Latina would return to her tribe when my adventure is done, but what about Sophie? What would happen to my beloved rifle if I return home, if I can?

Prophecies where I would play a role in it kept bugging me. Why? What purpose can I do other than arms the friends of the hero itself? I never was the hero; I was simply caught at the wrong moment at the wrong time. Because of that, my friend has to pay the price. Possibly my family too. My mistress's Luger which now sits snugly at Sophie's hip shows that anything that belongs to my family can reach here. If I can ends up here without my consent, what's stopping whatever force up there from taking my family and placing them in this cruel world? What happens when I'm not there? They might conduct a widespread search for me, perhaps the little shrine maiden would go out of her shell and form a search team. What happens if they end up here?

This world is beautiful, but it is dangerous. Frankly, I don't see anything different from back home. Yeah, their magic system might be unique and the inhabitants were out of this world, but that's all about it. Compared to my home this place was technologically inferior in many forms. This fate has befallen my home until I appeared and brings them to the digital age of warfare. With my mistress's help I taught my homeland how to balance out magic with technology, hence erasing the inherent problem of overreliance on magic. This place reeks of magic, yet if I found a way to counter it they were at best medieval era knights.

The biomes that I explored before has no difference than the one back home. The lush forest of Amazon, the nice, green field in a quaint Irish town, an underground system that was akin to Gua Musang in Malaysia, the abandoned mining post. Aside from those damned rifts, I already saw what this world has to offer back in my homeland.

I thought being in a new world means that I could see a whole new biome unseen by others; a biome made from candy perhaps? Or a biome made from pure evil? Maybe biomes that were entirely made out of the blood of slain mortals? No, all I got was some copy-pasted shit from Earth above. It was a big let-down.

Not only that, all this commitment I have in this world has no clear cut answer. I can't just up and scout a route in the middle of nowhere. I can't even return to my home. How am I gonna explain to my family that my rifle was now my wife? How can I explain to the hero that I am the guy that gonna accompany him just like the King and Queen and castle Mithras said? How can I blame the White Rabbit for my problems when she would never come here? Stupid bitch, she drops me here for a prophecy and she didn't even have the courtesy of an explanation. How am I supposed to do my work if I don't have the full information about it? That's why a scout's work was so important; they make sure that the main cavalry won't fall into a hidden ditch when they march into an unknown territory!

Perhaps, I need a break. No, what I need is a base of operation: a headquarter where I can return to after any adventures. An inn requires me to pay for our expense, which would pose a problem in the future when I'm broke. What am I doing now am not effective. Running around the country ain't gonna do it. I need to have a plan; a long-term plan for all of my commitment.

A headquarter would be a place where I could plan and prepare for anything that might get in my way. The local inn while convenient would be ill-suited for ambitious project. I need a base where I can regroup, retry and rearm.

Perhaps I can help the skeletons back at Castle Mithras to restore their keep? I can use that place as a base of operation. Yeah, a place where I can finally build the thing that the blacksmith can't do. A bullet factory where I can make more ammo by the bundle without resorting to magic. Yeah, that'll do. Perhaps I can create more specialised weapon and kit back there. In this place I need all the edge of modern weaponries I can.

Then it's settled. Once I'm done with my work here I'll head back to Mithras.

Well, why not the haunted mansion you ask? Well, it wasn't a good idea. First off, the route leading to that place was abandoned, like really abandoned. The road halfway through has been claimed back by the nature as walls of trees and bushes grows right at the middle of the path and almost conceals the road itself. From what I gather from the locals at San Ilia the road to San Ilia should've been cleared thanks to the first group of royal explorer. This is the work of an enemy MG. I was right when I spotted some hidden MGs in the artificial forest thanks to Sophie's scope.

The mansion doesn't look like the SDM however, which is a huge relief. At least I knew that my family is still at home, I hope. The exterior of the mansion was made out of pink bricks unlike SDM more scarlet volcanic nature. The field in front of the mansion however was a graveyard. The tombstones were battered with age and weather, signifying how long the inhabitant has slept. Thankfully, the occupant was there and still asleep. I can confirm it with Sophie's scope. We went into the mansion at the afternoon when the sun was 110 degree from the ground. It was still daylight so I wasn't attacked.

At the inside however was a different story. We have all manners of undead creatures in there. Zombies, mages, possessed dolls, the whole lot. They were hidden nicely at some part of the room. The bigger one like the zombies and mage would hide in a room or two or they can be found at many of the crevasses where the floor gave in. The dolls were a different issue. They can be found at anywhere, in a closet, in a bedroom, under a table. Then we got ourselves some black phantoms that hide in the darkness and almost everywhere. They can pass through walls for fuck sake.

Zombies I shot them between the eyes, the dolls receive the same treatment. For all those talks about holy weapon and shit, they still can die from physical attack. Zombies were surprisingly durable considering the fact that they're rotting corpse. Dolls make up for their tiny bodies with ample supply of magic and hair magic. Fortunately most of them were out-ranged by Sophie and Latina's AK. The only thing that gave me trouble was the black phantoms. Motherfucker was immune to everything except holy-imbued bullets and Latina's bayonet.

The place was in a sorry state. Not as bad as Mithras but it'll need a serious makeover if I want to make this place habitable. Mildews and rot clings at the walls like plagues and many of the floors caved in into shallow holes where zombies like to snug in.

There's also a roomful of zombies who were dancing the evening off. Guess what they were dancing to? Thriller by Michael Jackson. Thriller, by motherfucking Michael Jackson. Jesus Christ shit can't get even worse than that. At least they didn't attack. They were too busy dancing to even notice me.

However, while I was too busy watching them dance I was then attacked by a black phantom. Motherfucker went straight into my nose and into my gullet. I fumbled around and tried to drink the holy water but instead I double down and coughed blood as the bastard messed up my insides with something that felt like a ten foot sword up my ass. Thankfully, Latina manages to pour the holy water down my throat before any lasting damage happened and Sophie scares her off with another bottle of holy water. A couple of Ilias Herbs later, I was good as new.

The basement entrance was between two main staircases of the mansion's living room. The basement was large and multi-layered. The first layer has a holding cell akin to the one I found at Mitras Castle. The cell however was wide open and empty, so that's a plus. The interior of the cell was empty saves for several bloodstains upon the floor. I guess the hostages was murdered and turned into undead with the rest of them.

The second layer has an area that looks like an infirmary. One table, one chair, two beds, and 4 cupboards filled with vials after vials of strange liquid adorn the wooden platform. The area distinguishes itself by having wooden floors unlike the stair's cobblestones. The wooden floor was smelly and rotten like the rest of the house. Seriously, did the owner of this mansion have maids to take care of this place? Maybe if he or she used the ghost and zombies that roamed this house to actually clean the house maybe it won't suck as much? It was the primary reason why zombies were created! To become servants, not a flesh-eating maniac like Mr Romero portrayed them to be!

The last layer however was a massive hall. 6 pillars held the roof of the hallway from collapsing on top of us. Beside each pillar however was a redwood coffin. The scope reveals the coffin as empty. Between four pillars which are two pillars away from the staircase lies a large and intricate pentagram. I stood in the middle of the circle and made my best Gandalf the Grey expression I can have. Latina thinks I just woke up the dead. I say I just lit the beacon.

In-between the pillars however lay some papers with intelligible writings on it. I believe that they were research papers. After all, why the hell there would be so many zombies in this house? What purpose does the holding cell, infirmary and this giant-ass pentagram? Decoration? Too bad I can't read it thought; the handwriting was worse than my own. At least with a good comprehension of English you can at least draw a conclusion on what am I writing right now. This is nothing more than a scribble.

At the end of the hall was a large tombstone easily twice my size. I don't know what was written on there, but judging from the long list of words written on them I assume it was the names of the staffs that died here long ago. With a quick gesture of respect (military salute for a full minute) I decided to inspect the room further.

Nothing was fun in there except the ceiling. There was a large gap at the ceiling which I believe was made for it. I believe it was more of a death trap rather than an escape pod. Falling down thirty metres onto a hard stone floor won't do your legs any good.

After sating my curiosity of this mansion, I decided to return to San Ilia's castle to meet the soldiers there. Turns out, there were several soldiers that have been taken prisoner by a small necromancer with immense power. Fortunately, a hero of much greater force defeated her and rescued the captured soldiers. Frm the description given by the soldiers the hero was Luka yet again.

From what I learned from those healing soldiers is that they have been rescued around 6 hours before I came is such a cock-tease. It was so close, yet so far away. If I was much faster I would've meet Hito by now. Or maybe not, perhaps White Rabbit would try and interrupt me again?

Ach, doesn't matter. After that, we head over to an inn in San Ilia to recuperate over our injuries. My stomach still felt that ghostly pain of being possessed earlier on. I don't like being possessed. It is uncomfortable as best, excruciatingly painful a worst.

I decided that we would hit the road again and head over to Luddite Village as it was a stone throw away from San Ilia. I wanted to see if there were more clues that I missed when that fucking bitch teleported me right in the middle of my conversation with the spy. Plus, I don't like what the pope implies on the fate of said village. I don't give two shits about the people in there, but I want to meet the spy again. Perhaps he has more clue for my friend Hito.

After that maybe hit Mithras castle again. Base-building requires equipment and logistics that I have not possessed yet by now. I'll hit Luddite village and check around the area a few miles away from San Ilia.

That's all for today's journal. Goodnight journal.


	33. Chapter 28

14xx/7/14

169 days since arrival….

Luddite's Village was destroyed.

It was jarring to be fair; when you were not surrounded by fanatical religious extremist you can finally see the full extent of the village. It was surprisingly small, a small collection of handmade hamlet surrounding a small lake. Said lake has a couple of corpses floating on the surface. I helped a priest to pull a corpse out of the water with some rope and nets. The corpse was in a pitiful state. The victim, whom I assume was a male was nothing more than a dried piece of skin and bone akin to a mummified body in an Egyptian's pyramid. His expression however, was of bliss.

I talked with the priest as I helped him bury the corpse in a mass grave. They were cleaning up the village. From what I gather from the priest the village was attacked by three succubi of immeasurable strength. It was a massacre. None survived. The males got their life force sucked out via their penis; the females were ripped in half usually from the clitoris to the top of the head. The children ripped apart and consumed.

The houses were left intact however, which the priest's group used to store their equipment and rest for the duration of the cleanup. It was slow going due to how many pieces were scattered around and the tough work of calculating the real amount of casualties they have.

I asked the priest if there was a spy in the village who survived the massacre. He shook his head, saying that he doesn't know of anybody posted here as a spy, let alone if he was even here. But he recommended me to check the church if I want answer.

The church, a place of worship was nothing more than a morgue. A priest was there, writing on a notepad. I asked him if he saw the priest. The corpse he was looking at was the priest, the priest that gave me the clue to Hito's whereabout. Now he's dead, and I don't even know his name. Spy priest died fulfilling his duty, and nobody even knows his name.

The priest that was checking the Spy priest said that many people flocked here to seek salvation, only to find them trapped like a rat in a cage.

I hit a building that was bigger than the other building. I presume that it was the chief's building. The inside was rudimentary, wood furniturne was the norm of the interior. I saw another corpse there, clutching a kitchen knife and a cross. He died clutching a symbol of faith that does nothing to prevent his death.

I then went upstair and chuckled darkly at myself. What scandal it was, truly a village chieftain must be the most pious of all and must live simply like the rest of them right? Then why does the little room upstair that can only be accessed by a removable ladder has an interior the same to a five star hotel?

Another priest was there, recording on a notepad. A corpse was leaning on a white pristine wall; in his hand was a revolver. At the corner of the room just beside a fluffy king sized bed was a handheld cross made out of silver. The priest attending the corpse said that despite him being an enemy of the state he can't help but to pity him.

Anyway, knowing that Luddite Village was destroyed and nothing was there, I decided to explore a small route beside the village. It was small, yet stills a cleared route. So it means that someone has been using it as an escape route right?

After a few minutes of walking, I stumble upon a cave with a guard standing by. He told me that this place was off-limit. I obeyed his order and walked away. In San Ilia's law, I'm still a civilian. It's much better to stay under radar as it is. Plus, how am I supposed to explain to the pope that I killed one of their guards to enter a restricted area?

Anyway, I returned to San Ilia via harpy feather and set forth to Monte Carlo. The enemy was significantly stronger here than the one back at Ilias Continent. Fortunately, they're not the only one who got stronger. All that fight made us stronger via stats to be fair. The best part is that Sophie was becoming more of a beast throughout our adventure. Her ability to use so many types of bullets was a tactical advantage I have. Plus, because she was a monster girl fighting with me she too got upgrades via stats. When she upgrades, she became stronger, and as because she was a weapon, her weapon stat would also increase, hence making her more powerful over time. I was glad the skellies at Mithras castle give me the imbuement option. It would be very hard to survive my trip here. Well, until I found a way how to create spellcards then…

I rode Latina all the way to Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo, a city under control of the mafias. If the officials cannot find them, then the one who dwells in the darkness can. The city was akin to Nameless Slum, except the place was surrounded by high walls and has housing areas separated by high walls. Being an avid climber I was, I found a wall that I can scale.

With a higher vantage point I marked some point of interest in the city. While the wall was high, the gaps between the walls were pretty manageable. If I need to escape I can just scale a wall and run on top of it. Latina scouts on ground level while I observe the world through Sophie's scope from the top.

I watched her as she interacted with the populance of the city. Her large stature and strange weapon made her intimidating, which was a good sign when dealing with rough neighbourhood. I saw a couple of thugs watching her from afar, gauging her capability. Fortunately, nobody tried anything funny with her.

Her scouting mission went pretty well. She found out that Luka has been here before yesterday, and he has the protection of the mafia. How the hell he got that I don't know. She also said that Hito was definitely with their crew. Last she heard from them they were heading toward Sabasa kingdom.

Problem is, between Sabasa and here was a giant-ass desert filled to the brim with powerful monsters. I went out to the edge of the desert and see if the enemy was as strong as they said. Being a sniper I was, simply hid among a cluster of dried up trees and and bushes just at the lip of the desert. It was pretty and unique, the border between desert and green, lush field. At my back was a field of green as far as eye can see, yet just in front of me was a horizon of harsh arid wasteland of sand and rock.

By god, so many giantess. So many Monster girls that was the size of a building. I saw a woman and worm combination that was the size of Eiffel Tower! I saw a woman that was 12 foot tall with one large arm as hammers. I saw woman fused with scorpion's lower part that was the size of a car. There was no way I could win in a straight fight like that.

What I can do however, is to record whatever beast I found out there through the scope. I'll observe the area until tomorrow and record what I saw. Afterward, I'll hit San Ilia's library and decide on my next course of action.

See you later journal, I have some observing to do.


	34. Chapter 29

14xx/7/21

176 days since arrival…

Okay, my observation has paid off.

From what I gather from my observation and San Ilia's book, most of them were nomads and loners whose house was the whole desert itself. It makes sense considering how most of them embody the creatures that plays in the sand at night. I hate the desert. In the morning I can die from heat and dehydration with my water dwindling to an end slowly but surely, at night the temperature took a nosedive and froze my balls off to present them to a fuckton of biting, poisonous insects that came out at night.

Seeing a fucking twelve foot tall scorpion was enough to make me shiver in me timbers. I don't care how many tits she has underneath that legs of hers, I'm not getting anywhere near that shit.

I definitely need explosive to deal with sandworm. Motherfucker was rare, but they were the size of a skyscraper. Their hard carapace would mean I need a fuckton of explosive. Preferably ranged, getting near that shit equals death.

And we have a giant-ass tarantula with a girl's head attached to it. That's it, no boobs, nothing, Just a fucking head grinning her dumb ass off. That thing was the size of a car. I don't care if sandworm was way bigger than that, she was the only one that I will not hesitate to shoot on sight. Hell, I did it too. Fire burned her sorry hairy ass back to hell.

Aside from the one that was big as all hell the rest I wager I can take down with a couple of bullets. The problem is that I actually tried it and most of the enemies require more than three bullets to die properly. The rumours were right; they were much stronger than the one where I started out. It also poses a new problem. My rifle was way underpowered to handle such threat. Like it or not, the stats made sure that my rifle was underpowered against them.

I cannot give up. Hito could've been wandering around the desert with Luka and the gang, chased by a skyscraper-sized titan. Plus, there is a chance that my family could end up here somewhere in the desert. The points Sophie gave me was solid, but the Luger at her side was the proof of a terrifying probability, the probability of having my family whisked here surrounded by enemies. I was lucky to end up at Ilias Continent where my rifle was understandably powerful. What happen if my first enemy was that giant behemoth in the desert? Or a cute little girl attached to a vicious crocodile?

I maybe weak now, but I have an advantage thanks to Sophie and Latina. Latina was a competent fighter and a good ride for our expedition, so my trek across the desert would be more bearable. Sophie in her rifle form can use many elemental magic, hence allowing me to exploit the weakness of my enemy by simply changing the elemental bullets mid-fight.

The problem is my stats. No matter how good I am at fighting, this bastard makes sure that my bullet would deal as much damage as a 0.22 rounds. I need to find a way to upgrade my stats better. What better way than getting into random fights with the local Monster population?

Well, from what I gather from my observation in my adventure I can increase my stats by winning fights. Most of the time I must 'kill' them to receive my prize. The problem is, Monsters cannot be taken lightly and just running and randomly searching for enemies to fight would be time-consuming. I figured in order for me to rack up experience points I need to constantly fight enemies at all the time, hence risking my life greatly and tiring me out.

I can compete at the Grand Colosseum for experience points, but the sports were nothing more than a public sex show for the masses. Plus, it was at Grand Noah, where I heard there was a war going on. Plus, the employers of the pirates back at the sea lives there. It was out of the question.

I can hunt for some seeds which grant me extra points in my stats according to the seed consumed. If the seed increases my agility, it would increase the stats of my agility only. Unfortunately, they were few and far between, the one that was sold are exorbitantly expensive.

My plan however was to do what I am good at; sniping. I'm a sniper; I was supposed to operate behind enemy lines and far away from the enemy itself, not going personal and face them in open combat. My pistol was there for my close-quarter needs, yet it was severely outclassed by Sophie and the monsters I fought. I really need to imbue my pistol with something else.

My plan is to hide in a mountain and shoot whoever entered my killing zone. I would establish a killing zone, maybe at some path that was popular for MG's transportation and the area around it 500 feet away from the mountain range (my position). I would shoot down every MG down there until nightfall and change my location the next day to remain undetected. I would perform my sniping task for a full week. Latina would be wandering around at my killing zone, collecting the loot that my victim dropped at the end of the day.

For some reason, Latina protested at my action. She can casually kill anybody that stumbles at our line of sight in our adventure yet when I decided to simply hide and shoot MGs all day long she threw a fit. She says that MGs are not some game that I can shoot like its turkey season. She told me that innocent MGs that move through our killing zone would be a victim to my rifle, no matter their intention. She was offended that I would ask her to collect their belongings that fall on the ground, saying that only bandits and lowlife would actively seek out people to kill.

Seriously, I don't understand what the fuss is is all about. For all the fights I end up at almost nobody died during the fight. They all end up teleporting back to their home. So what's the big deal with sniping MG down when they were crossing a bridge or something? It would be a minor setback for them, but they never died for real. Hell, compared to them I can die permanently, so they have next to nothing to complain about.

She calls herself a warrior, someone who fights for the right cause. She said that terrorizing the local populance went against everything she was taught for. She pleaded with me, negotiated with me. She asked me to abandon my plan, saying that she doesn't want to be a terrorist. I came to a dilemma here. I need to rack up experient points, but Latina object at my method. Seriously, she objected me doing what I was trained for. Hell, my sniper rifle was designed for this shit. Fighting at close-quarter is not what a sniper was supposed to do.

Anyway, if I carry out the deed, she would leave me be, and I need her. She carries a lot of our provisions and she was one hell of a ride. Walking through the desert would be a very difficult task without her. On the other hand, I must rack up points. I need to become stronger to cross the desert and just running around the field would be costly compared to my plan.

I can't be hasty. I need another day to plan it out. Surely there must be another route where we all could work together.

That's all journal. I'll write to you once I found the answer.


End file.
